Is your business ready to rock down to electric avenue? Millions of employees and customers are

Key Takeaways:

  • The number of electric vehicles in the U.S. is increasing
  • More workers want electric cars and environmentally friendly employers
  • Consumers like commercial sites that offer electric charging stations
  • Commercial sites can benefit significantly from customers driving electric vehicles 
  • The government has prioritized electric cars in their revolutionary plans for a new American infrastructure

Here at UES we know a few things about electricity. We also like to keep up with all voltage-related trends (pickleball, anyone?). One trend gathering steam – or should we say “current” – is electric vehicles. Commercial-site managers should start paying very close attention.

Both the public and the Powers That Be increasingly support a dramatic expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure. This guide explores the benefits of having electric-charging stations in your workplace, and covers programs available to make commercial installations easier.

The sort-of-rapid rise of electric vehicles

Statista gives a neat breakdown of some of the key sector numbers for 2021 — the year that Tesla tallied hundreds of thousands of electric-vehicle sales in America alone. Manufacturers like Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and General Motors aren’t too far behind; they’re expanding their model range and electric-car company philosophies.

There were some other notable statistics: 47% of millennials (who make up 35% of the U.S. workforce, or 53 million people) are very or somewhat likely to buy an electric vehicle, which will add to the two million electrics already on the road in the U.S. Bloomberg estimates that 58% of the world’s passenger-vehicle sales will be electric by 2040.

Most of these drivers will travel to jobs. Employers can help employees’ commutes if there are electric-charging stations available. Electric-car drivers will also have some disposable income. Both these points lead us to today’s Top Three.

The 3 main reasons to develop locations for charging stations

Three reasons don’t sound like many, but there are a ton of game-changing facts and effects wrapped up in them. Consider the following:

1. Millennials are all-powerful

That’s barely an overstatement. Remember that 47% of this group are curious about or leaning heavily toward electric vehicles and that millennials will constitute 75% of the workforce by 2025. They also favor environmentally responsible employers.

Data for 2022 indicates 24,910,000 employees are currently scoping the office parking lot looking for proof of a greener commercial attitude – for instance, a charging station. Remember: competition among companies to land and keep staff is fiercer than ever. Can your business really run the risk of workers flock to an employer who lets them plug in their vehicles?

2. Not everyone who visits your site works for you

Commercial sites need to attract the spending public alongside paid personnel. Visitors are more likely to hang around if they can recharge their ride while shopping. We can hear your skepticism: “Macy’s doesn’t have gas pumps in the parking lot, and they’re doing just fine!” Ah, how times are changing.

Check out these statistics from Charge Point, which show how the millions of electric-vehicle drivers in America like a parking spot that charges their car while they shop. Not only that, but the longer consumers wait for the car to charge, the more time they spend browsing and buying in that store; up to 327% longer! See where we’re going with this?

Adding electric-charging stations also projects an environmentally conscious image while providing the chance to offer charge-centric deals to electric drivers — two things that can help build customer loyalty. Last, but not least, commercial charging stations are directly linked to deeper mining of valuable customer data, which can be used to everyone’s benefit.

3. The government favors electric vehicles over gas power

America is aiming to become an entirely fossil fuel-free nation by 2035 and a big push toward electric vehicles is a major part of that initiative. The government obviously doesn’t expect it to happen overnight, nor do they expect businesses to foot the bill entirely. They’ve already sunk a combined $7.25B into electric-vehicle infrastructure programs to give states support for the transition.

It’s a further part of their plan to offer incentives to organizations such as expanded and extended federal tax credits. These can offset up to 30% of the total costs of buying and installing electric charging stations on your commercial property, up to $30,000. Charge Point’s handy state-by-state tool to help businesses find more local incentives toward going electric. Here are more for Florida, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy.

The increasing introduction of “clean car” standards means only electric vehicles can hope to meet them. The current administration wants There’s also a growing collaboration between investors, retailers, auto manufacturers, and utilities providers to create a new national-charging model that will break with the traditional gas-based framework. This Washington state study shows how the private sector can make electric charging the new norm. It won’t be long before consumers, Capitol Hill, and employers agree that it’s for the best.

Our closing thought: make this subject something your commercial site looks into sooner rather than later. It’s shaping up to be a leading way for businesses to stay connected to the world.

Speak to our experts 

The UES team bring decades of electrical experience to many industries in Florida. Our experts can assess your site’s current electrical profile and help you plan for the future of vehicle charging. Just drop us a line on our contact page to get a free quote on any commercial electrical project!