A new report has found that EV chargers need other amenities and sources of revenue around them in order to succeed.
The report from the Next 10 and the Institute for Transportation Studies at UC Davis found that EV charging infrastructure requires additional sources of revenue in order to be profitable, and charging stations need to be located near other amenities in order to improve their return on investment. The presence of amenities near public EV chargers will increase EV vehicle owners station use, which may help to offset EV infrastructure costs, the report said.
“We already know that the next generation of EV owners want more public chargers,” Noel Perry, founder of the non-partisan, non-profit Next 10, said. “This report shows that building chargers where people are and where they want to be, especially for longer trips, is what’s best for both California drivers and charging station investors.”
The report, Analyzing the Business Case & Consumer Preferences for Fast Chargers in California, stems from a survey of California EV drivers about whether they can charge at home, are willing to pay a premium for more accessible fast public charging, and how being near other services affects their willingness to wait.
Analysis of the survey found that public chargers get more visits when they are location within 500 meters of both dining services and grocery stores. Chargers, the report concludes, could bring more customers to a business, or fast chargers could be located with amenities co-owned by charging providers to increase revenue and help break even on EV charger costs.
The report also found that rest stops, malls, parking garages and restaurants were most commonly selected public charging station locations; that California EV drivers are 37 percent more likely to choose a charger with additional amenities like restrooms and convenience stores; and that drivers are more likely to choose chargers that are close to travel routes, have shorter wait time and have faster chargers. The research also found that EV drivers in California are willing to pay a premium for chargers with no wait times.
“Our research shows us what electric vehicle drivers want: fueling infrastructure located with additional amenities that can also help stations become profitable,” said Dr. Scott Hardman, Associate Research Faculty for the Electric Vehicle Research Center at UC Davis. “Whether it’s a gas station or an EV charging station, co-located services and amenities are needed to improve ROI and are what people want.”