Electric Cars are Changing Hotel Loyalty.
With electric car sales growing 85% in 2018, hotels are discovering new fast-growing revenue and loyalty opportunities.
When electric vehicles (EVs) first hit the streets 20 years ago, no one imagined they would drive from coast to coast, but with the birth of Tesla and their high capacity batteries, it’s changed how Americans drive and vacation.
The EV Market is Booming!
In an effort to keep up with Tesla, every major automotive brand has at least one EV in their portfolio and many more in development.
Jaguar’s iPace has been the one of the most anticipated cars of 2018 even with its $80K price tag and BMW now has a dozen plugin options in their line-up with several more coming soon. The EV is here to stay and owners, passionately in love with their electric powered cars, are driving everywhere.
With more power and technology, the surge of EVs has spurred on a whole new generation of drivers who just love to drive – to the office, to the golf course, to the mountains, to the beach and to ALL their favorite vacation destinations.
But how? Well, as they say: “There’s an app for that!” With dozens of websites, apps and in-vehicle maps, EV drivers are no longer asking “can we get there?” but “where are we going to stay, once we do?”
And for Tesla owners, they introduced a robust “Go Anywhere” tool to help drivers find Superchargers nationwide along with hotels and restaurants with Level 2 Tesla-branded destination chargers – and all of it is changing travelers’ behavior.
EV Charging Vs. Hotel Loyal Programs.
Full-service hotels are known to offer extra amenities – often going above and beyond to meet their guest’s needs – and more future-focused properties are starting to offer EV charging. However, hotels not yet offering charging are now being overlooked as EV guests are putting aside their loyalty points in favor of fuel.
Visit any of the thousands of social media sites dedicated to EV cars and you’ll discover he’s not alone. EV drivers are making hotel decisions, not on price or points, but on where they can charge and as result, are forging new loyalties and telling their friends!
More Business and More Revenue.
Hotels offering EV charging are not only earning new devotees, but also more business. Recent studies reveal EV drivers are more likely to stay longer and Amore. And the benefits for hoteliers doesn’t end with overnight lodgers. EV chargers also attract more ‘day guests’ driving increasing the demand for meeting space and hotel restaurants.
These hoteliers are finding another reward too – revenue. EV drivers will pay to charge as long as the rates remain reasonable.
And then, there is also the cache. Along with new and more loyal customers, hotel owners are enjoying the cutting-edge persona associated with electric cars and the halo it brings. And having a fleet of EV luxury cars in the porte-cochere sends a great message.
Millions of Dollars in Incentives.
So, what stopping you? With EV car sales increasing 85% in 2018, the business potential is huge. And with millions of dollars in state incentives available, essentially giving hotel owners free money to install EV charging equipment, why would you wait?
To learn more about the incentives available in your state, contact the EV charging experts at National Car Charging at (866) 996-6387.
Written by Margaret-Ann Leavitt, VP of Marketing at National Car Charging.
Margaret-Ann is a strategic marketer with extensive experience in marketing to kids, boomers and passionate sustainability enthusiasts. She's been an avid proponent of electric cars for over seven years and is now driving her 4th electric car. She's a graduate of Colgate University and the University of Miami. Margaret-Ann currently leads marketing at National Car Charging and their sister company Aloha Charge. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her family.
National Car Charging (NCC) is the leading privately-held distributor and installer of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment in the US and is based here in Denver, Colorado. NCC works with universities, municipalities, developers, multi-family housing providers among a wide range of other business channels to plan and install EV infrastructure for the growing number of electric cars and electric business fleets on the road. NCC currently manages 3000+ charging ports nationwide and has installed stations in over 40 states with their highest concentration of stations (over 20%) in their home state of Colorado.