NATIONAL REPORT—With the increasing presence of electric vehicles on the road, EVBox Group, a provider of charging stations, conducted two studies—one in the United States and the other in six European countries—to get a better understanding of the current market for electric driving. The studies targeted the general population, potential drivers of EV vehicles, and current EV drivers. The surveys were conducted by means of an online questionnaire.
The U.S. study included 2,002 residents including 100 EV drivers. While neither of the studies targeted hoteliers, the results of the study should be of interest to hoteliers who are increasingly welcoming EV drivers—especially drivers stopping by to grab a bite to eat while charging up. (Twenty-three percent of survey respondents would like to see more chargers at restaurants.)
If your property does not have EV charging stations, one finding from the study should be of interest. Uncertainty about charging stations is the main barrier to opt (again) for an EV, both among current EV drivers and the general population. Perceptions of high prices is another reason keeping drivers from going electric (again).
The study found that roughly half of the general population is not confident about finding charging possibilities along the road whenever needed if they were to drive an EV. By far the most common location for charging EVs is at home. Four in 10 EV drivers sometimes experience problems with charging outside of their homes.
Just over half of the EV drivers who go to work have charging stations there. But for many, there are not always enough charging stations available. Offering electric/plug-in hybrid cars makes employers more attractive for many charging EV drivers. Most would expect charging to be free at work. Potential EV drivers say that more chargers (both regular and fast) would increase their willingness to buy an EV.
Insight on Charging Types
Easily manageable station cables are seen as the No. 1 most useful aspect of fast charging stations, followed by guiding LED lights. Just over half of all EV drivers are familiar with the differences between regular/AC charging and fast/DC charging. Among potential EV drivers, familiarity is lower. More than half of EV drivers already use fast charging. They use this at various locations, such as service stops/fuel stations, at the workplace, or at home. EV drivers would like to see more chargers (both regular and fast) at various places especially at service stops and fuel stations along the highway.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
