Jennifer Sensiba

It’s hard to really explain the value of being able to charge while you sleep and fully do it justice. At home, it means never having to go to a gas station or an EV charging station. The “I’ll fill up in the morning” thing where you forget about it and then end up late to work isn’t a thing anymore. Every day you start out with a “full tank.” However, away from home, it can be harder to find that experience.

When I first started EV road tripping, I was pretty desperate to find whatever charging I could. In many cases, staying at a motel with a Level 2 charger or even at an RV park meant the difference between making it there and not. But, in recent years, the DC fast charging network and the quality of my EV have been a lot better. Now, hotel charging isn’t a matter of making it there as much as a matter of convenience.

Charging overnight at a hotel is still extremely useful. It usually means skipping one if not two DC fast charging stops, as you can show up to the hotel on an almost empty battery and leave with a 100% charge (something you almost never do at fast charging stations). With a car that charges slower, it can mean shaving as much as an hour off a trip, and if traveling across the country, it can add up to getting there hours faster even in EVs that charge more quickly than mine.

But, I hardly ever charge at hotels anymore. Why? Because it’s usually high-end hotels that offer EV charging. I’m often perfectly happy to stay at a Motel 6, not only because it’s a lot cheaper than a higher end hotel, but because I never have to worry about whether pets are allowed or whether pet fees (which can be very expensive) are going to get added to my bill. In some cases, a motel with charging can be three times the cost of staying at a Motel 6, so it just doesn’t make that much sense on my budget.

So, I really wish that Motel 6 and other budget motel chains would start offering Level 2 (overnight) EV charging. In this article, I want to explain why it would be a good business decision and why it could even make participating motels a few extra bucks. After all, no matter how much it would make sense to me for a budget motel to offer charging, it’s just not going to happen unless it makes sense to the motel’s owner.

The Biggest Reason: EVs Aren’t Only For The Wealthy Now

It seems pretty obvious why it’s usually a 3- or 4-star hotel that has EV charging: the cost of EVs. If your customers want EV charging, it means they own EVs. And, for a number of years, EVs were too expensive for many people to afford. Even now, most new EVs cost somewhere north of $40,000, and people buying those EVs probably aren’t going to be interested in staying at something like a Motel 6.

But things have changed drastically over the last few years, and prices are dropping like crazy. Not only are new EV prices coming down, but used EVs that are capable of taking road trips have dropped well into the teens. Some vehicles that are not fantastic for road trips but capable of them can be had for as little as $10,000 now. So, the demand for EV charging at budget motels is now on the rise, even if it’s tough to see. It will only rise as more people buy cheaper EVs.

If you want people to get in the habit of using your motel chain over others, now is the time to get those overnight chargers in place, not later when the competition has already got the drop on you.

If you’re someone working at the corporate office for a chain of budget motels, consider that the first budget chain that’s known to usually have an EV charging station will get a leg up on the others, as people will start searching for your branded motels and not for the competition. I already do that with Motel 6 due to the pet friendly policies.

Another Important Factor: The Charging Can Pay For Itself & Maybe Make A Small Profit

While free EV charging can definitely attract customers, one of the biggest mistakes a hotel or restaurant can make with EV charging is to not fund maintenance or track the use of the charging station. When it looks like nobody’s charging and then the unit breaks, business owners all too often decide it’s not worth fixing. This means that the business takes a reputational hit online when people report the broken station that doesn’t get repaired on apps like PlugShare.

So, it makes sense to offer EV charging that at least covers the cost. On top of the normal electricity rate that the business pays, money needs to be added to pay for the construction of the station and to build up a fund for repair when that comes up. Add a few more cents for profit, and you have an economically sustainable charging station that you won’t want to bail on later.

It also makes sense to be careful about getting gigged for construction costs. A home charging station can often be put in an EV owner’s garage for around $1,000, so when you start getting quotes and a company tells you that an overnight EV charging station will cost $15,000 or something, it’s time to keep talking to contractors and get a more reasonable answer. Always shop around and get a good deal, in other words.

If you want to offer free charging, it might make sense to simply offer a NEMA 14-50 plug like you’d find at an RV park. This means customers have to bring their own equipment for the charge and you don’t need to pay for upkeep.

Advertising The Station

Simply putting in a station isn’t enough. Sure, you can build it, but people won’t come unless they know it’s there! So, several things need to happen to make sure people come use it (and stay at your motel over others).

First, it needs to be listed on popular EV charging station listing websites, like PlugsShare, the Alternative Fueling Station Locator, and OpenChargeMap. This will put the stations not only on those websites, but in apps and navigation aids that rely on those databases. This means that not only will people be able to manually find the station, but some people will automatically be routed to it.

Next, all websites listing the hotel need to have the amenity listed. This could be a tedious task for a local motel with no chain, but for a motel chain, search functions need to have filters for EV charging so that people can search for that amenity. Google Maps also needs to have the EV charging station listed for people to search for the amenity there.