Did you know that when it comes to charging away from home, one in five electric vehicle (EV) drivers actively seek out locations that offer retail and hospitality amenities?
Research from Deloitte found the top amenities sought out by EV drivers while charging their vehicle include coffee and beverages (64%), bathrooms (56%), WiFi connectivity (55%), snacks and food options (43%) and a lounge or sitting area (42%). Interestingly, the survey also showed that as much as a quarter of EV drivers (one in four) are happy to wait up to an hour while their vehicle is charging.
Hotels, restaurants and other leisure sites offer a perfect location for the installation of EV charging facilities, says Tom Davies, Business Development Director for PoGo: “EV drivers seek out safe, comfortable places to wait while they charge their vehicle and most hotels, restaurants and pubs tick all the boxes for what the driver is looking for – whether it’s a business driver stopping for a coffee while they charge, or a family breaking their journey at lunch time.
“Adding EV charging to your parking area provides existing customers with an additional service and supports customer loyalty. It also helps you to unlock the value of your site by giving other EV drivers a reason to stop, who will be only too happy to use your facilities while they wait and become new customers to you,” he explains. “EV charging doesn’t have to be a costly service to provide. PoGo offers fully funded EV charger installation for landowners, where we take care of the costs and oversee the whole process from install to the ongoing maintenance and the customer service for drivers, so that you can reap the rewards of giving customers what they need.
There are now more than one million electric vehicles on UK roads, and a new battery electric car was sold every 60 seconds in the UK in the month of July. EV ownership is reaching a tipping point, meaning that more and more customers will be expecting EV charging facilities. Their loyalties will quickly align with businesses that share a similar outlook on sustainability and support zero emission driving.
“EV motorists are growing in number and it’s a target market that is only getting bigger,” says Tom. “Catering for their needs now and building customer loyalty will put you a step ahead of the competition.” PoGo is already working with a number of partners to demonstrate the value of EV charging solutions, including a major partnership with Kew Green Hotels to kick start the hotel operator’s plans across the UK. The agreement will see PoGo create 40 new accessible EV charging hubs at hotel brands including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, voco and Courtyard by Marriott, that will provide a mix of ultra-rapid chargers to attract passing motorists, as well as overnight chargers to meet the needs of hotel guests.
Ready to charge up your business with PoGo? If you’re a landowner, now is the time to transform your location into a hotspot for EV drivers. Get in touch with our Network Development team, led by Tom Davies, Business Development Director at PoGo, and let’s power up the future together.
