Aside from standing on corners yelling “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” we’re doing what we can to share our excitement about the EV boom. For operators who are completely new, you can check out our guide to ensuring your asset is EV-ready. Once you’ve started planning your EV solutions, you can think about the opportunities they’ll bring. The exciting advantages and chances for new revenue streams include the following:
Engaging With Smart Cities
Sustainable energy usage and electrification is a monumental task that all cities face. Transportation is a large portion of the challenge, though it extends to virtually all municipal services and operations that require energy. One of the major advantages of building parking EV infrastructure is its benefit toward sustainable energy for the entire city.
A car that can use a more evenly distributed, slower charging system is actually placing less strain on the energy grid than one using fast charging. By providing space for cars to charge while a person’s time is occupied elsewhere, a parking asset can play a crucial role in energy conservation and utilization. In this way, operators can work closely with municipalities to engage in a mutually beneficial arrangement. Not to mention the even cooler potential for cars in parking assets to actually give energy back to the grid while they’re not being used. This functionality is being explored amongst urban planners in large cities to help even out energy consumption.
More Customer Services, More Data
Once you open the door for your assets to be more than just a space, you can work up to a newer level of customer trust. Charging is another level of interaction with a customer’s car, and you can begin to introduce new services that might pique their interest. Some popular examples include delivery services that drop off items straight to the trunk of a car—taking care of laundry or groceries for customers, for instance.
The ultimate benefit of added services (including EV) is the chance to deanonymize the customer. Added data points that come from charging or additional services give operators more chances to learn and connect with their clientele. Based on this information, operators can introduce loyalty programs or other methods to encourage repeat customers.
Potential New Fleet Accounts
Move over, Bob Dylan—Amazon is going electric, too. Most major retailers and delivery services have their own plans for electrifying their fleet to be sustainable and save on fuel costs. Even the post office is introducing EVs over the next decade or so. Companies like Amazon will have a greater need for spaces to recharge. Consider the potential of using underutilized asset space to house these fleets. It’s a newer source of revenue that could become a regular part of your portfolio.