Think back and try to recall the number of times you thought, “I should have done that sooner” or “What was I waiting for?” While better late than never is true, getting in front of a curve can help you get ahead in other ways too. We’re starting to see this in the EV charging space. From retail locations to businesses, more and more people are wondering why they waited so long to investigate EV charging solutions.
Most of us spend a majority of our time at home or at work and so having EV charging options at both locations makes sense. That said, it not only makes sense for EV drivers but also the places that employ them.
Quick Links
- Is your Workplace Ready for EV Charging Stations?
- Before Installing Workplace EV Charging Stations
- Why Install Workplace EV Charging Stations?
- Essential Keys to Successfully Implementing Workplace EV Charging Stations
Is your Workplace Ready for EV Charging Stations?
The quick and easy question is “Do your employees drive to work?” If the answer is yes, then on some level, your workplace is ready.
With many states, like NY, incentivizing EV infrastructure and other states, like Florida, leading the EV adoption charge, more and more drivers will expect EV infrastructure to be readily available when taking trips from home. In fact, it’s estimated that as much as 70-80% of all EV charging happens at home or work.
Simply put, increased EV adoption rates and the demand for charging at a location where EV drivers spend time, essentially, 40+ hours a week, makes workplace EV charging a critical part of EV infrastructure.
Even if you don’t now have a lot of EV drivers, you will, eventually, hit a critical mass and already having workplace EV charging in place will provide significant benefits for you and drivers.
Before Installing Workplace EV Charging Stations
You may be excited about the future of electric vehicles; you may even have more than a handful of employees looking forward to charging at work, but that doesn’t quite mean you’re ready for installation. There are a few things you’ll want to consider prior to installation, including choosing your EV charging solution provider.
First and foremost, you’ll want to understand your energy capacity and what your location can handle in terms of energy demands. This may limit the number (and type) of chargers you can install. You’ll also want to consider your parking needs/demands and what you can accommodate in terms of space. Your EV charging solution provider should, ideally, provide a complete site audit that provides detailed information about what your site can handle.
And, speaking of that site audit, you’ll want to choose the best EV charging solution provider available, one that can walk you through every step of the process. You’ll want to discuss what kind of chargers to offer (provided that’s an option) and you’ll want to determine how much control you want over the charging stations.
While you can choose to own and operate the EV charging stations and realize a new revenue stream through charging fees, you can also opt for charging as a service (CaaS). Choosing the business model that works best for you is paramount. You may be willing to sacrifice revenue, control, transparency, and fast charging for CaaS.
In contrast, you may want to administer and manage the charging stations on your own, which opens up not just revenue from charging, but also advertising. Furthermore, you can also offer discounted or free EV charging for specific employees, as a robust EV charging management platform will provide unprecedented control regarding fee structures and more.
Most importantly, regardless of the business model you choose, you want to be very careful about which EV charging solution provider you choose. Much like a site analysis, doing your due diligence is essential. You’ll want to factor in reliability, support, and warranties, and that’s just to start.
If you opt to own your EV charging stations, you’ll want to review your EV charging station provider’s network as well as their EV charging platform management system and the features it provides.
Why Install Workplace EV Charging Stations?
In addition to being an active part of the much needed EV charging infrastructure we need, there are some pretty significant benefits to workplace EV charging.
As mentioned earlier, when you own the stations, you can generate an additional revenue stream through those charging stations and, if your EV charging provider is capable, through advertising as well.
But wait…there’s more. With EV charging stations at your workplace, you also get:
- Happier employees- No more range anxiety and pride in corporate sustainability efforts.
- Reduce carbon footprint- Whether you’re charging work related vehicles or your employees, you’re working to reduce everyone’s carbon footprint
- Tax incentives- Incentives for employers have been reinstated. The Inflation Reduction Act raised the tax credit up to $100,000 per EV charger.
- Attract and retain talent- Competition for top talent is fierce. Every amenity and perk you can add for your employees is a step toward attracting and retaining the team you want and need.
- Contribute to corporate sustainability- It’s no secret that both consumers and employees, especially millennials and Gen Z, are more aware than ever of social responsibility. EV charging demonstrates your commitment to sustainability.
That is to say, there are some very real tangible benefits for businesses in addition to EV drivers.
Essential Keys to Successfully Implementing Workplace EV Charging Stations
You’re on board. You see the value. You want the returns. You’re ready to go? Not quite. There are a few things you’ll want to take care of and consider prior to implementing your workplace EV charging program.
1. Know your audience
When you’re planning any program or workplace initiative, one of the first things you should consider is your audience. New product or initiative? You take stock of your team and who can help. Similarly, before installing and implementing EV charging stations, you should know how many employees currently drive an EV and how many plan to in the near future. You may find that even the opening gambit for EV charging at your workplace sparks more people to consider the switch.
2. Survey your site and existing infrastructure
Before you know what you can do, you have to know what you have. As we stated earlier, knowing what the electrical capacity is at your business is key to knowing which and how many stations you can implement. Similarly, it will inform power usage and management, should you choose to manage your own stations.
3. Consider charging policies (and business model)
Will you charge everyone? The same rate? All the time? There are a lot of variables to consider when determining whether you’ll even charge for EV charging. You may choose to offer incentives for employees who hit certain goals or milestones. And, you’ll want to establish some charging protocols so you don’t end up with an angry or frustrated queue of employees waiting to charge.
This is also the appropriate time to decide whether you want to administer the stations yourself or relinquish that control to an EV charging stations provider who offers CaaS.
4. Research EV charging station providers
Remember what we said about due diligence? Don’t let choosing the wrong EV station solution provider come back to bite you. By this point, we’ve all heard stories about EV charging stations that don’t work or non-responsive charging apps. Reliability is a key factor in decision making.
Still, you want to make sure you’re also choosing a provider who stays flexible (and can help you do the same). You’ll want a provider who can offer you support (and a great warranty), consistency, and transparency. And, when it comes to demonstrating ROI, you’ll also want reporting you can tailor for your needs. In other words, you want an EV charging solution that was built with the end user in mind and comes with the features you most want and need.
If you’re even considering adding workplace EV charging solutions, reach out to us. We have experts on hand who can discuss everything from installation to fee structures and EV charging station management. We’re plugged in and ready to go when you need us, just like the vehicles that use NovaCHARGE EV charging solutions.
