Electric vehicle chargers are popping up all over the country to cater for an uptake in electric vehicles.
But is it worth installing them at your offices to help you reduce your carbon footprint and encourage staff to be green, or are they just a ‘nice to have’ perk?
Launching your Net Zero journey
An important benefit to factor in when considering EV chargers is how they can help you reduce your carbon emissions.
If you haven’t started on your journey to the Government’s Net Zero 2050 target, then installing EV charges is a great way to demonstrate you are serious about sustainability, especially if you are involved in distribution of goods or services that create a large carbon footprint.
Sustainability isn’t only good for our planet, it’s good for business because customers often want to be associated with companies who take it seriously.
Convenience for customers
If you’re a retail business, providing chargers for customers not only boosts their satisfaction but also encourages them to stay longer and perhaps spend more money if they are waiting for their car to charge.
It also attracts footfall from more environmentally conscious customers as well as loyalty among customers who will come back again if they know they can charge their cars easily and cheaply.
Staff perks
Many electric car owners still struggle to find somewhere to charge their vehicles especially if they live in large cities and don’t have easy access to a charging station near to their home.
So, providing free chargers is a big perk for employees who have electric vehicles and who can come to work knowing that there will always be somewhere to charge their vehicle.
Investing in EV chargers and its installation also shows that your company values its employees and may lead to increased loyalty, engagement and productivity as well as retention.
In addition, the convenience of having an EV charger at work may make other employees think about buying an electric car in the future when they see how easy and cheap charging is, helping to cut carbon emissions even further.
Selling electricity back to the grid
If you are creating energy using solar carports, then many companies create extra revenue by selling excess electricity.
Some companies also charge employees a small flat fee or the actual cost of electricity used while others use a time-based tariff where employees have a set time of free charging before a tariff kicks in, in order to make sure employees share a charging point.
Expense and disruption
Like any new infrastructure, EV chargers need a financial commitment which for some companies can be a problem in the current financial climate.
Installing them can also be disruptive to the workplace because the car park would need to be dug up to place the cables.
You also need to take into account the state of your existing electrical infrastructure if you want install superfast chargers because it may need upgrading which takes time and money.
That’s my charger and my car parking space!
There’s nothing like a shortage of time plus car parking spaces to reveal the worst in us humans.
Likewise, EV chargers may create friction between employees if there are not enough charging points.
The very fact they exist may also cause resentment among employees who perhaps can’t afford to upgrade their cars to EVs, especially if car parking spaces are reduced in favour of EV chargers for those who can.
So be wary of the green-eyed monsters or, at the very least, make sure you provide enough car parking spaces for non-EV vehicles if you do provide EV chargers.
