Many early stage EV drivers didn’t necessarily think about EV charging stations in their workplaces and were content to charge their vehicles during the night at home. However, today many companies offer free charging of EVs for their employees. While that situation is sustainable now, will it change with the continual growth in the number of EVs on the road?
Picture of workplace charging in the US
The Coca Cola headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, has installed 24 EV chargers in its parking lot for 70 of its employees who drove EVs. Google had declared way back in 2011 that it intended to dedicate 5% of its parking space to electric vehicle charging stations for the benefit of its employees. In the same year Microsoft also initiated a pilot program to enable easier EV charging on its campuses. Similarly, the Menlo Park headquarters of Facebook is equipped with Level 1 and 2 AC as well as DC fast charging facilities for employees. Michigan-based General Motors has also installed over 400 chargers in its facilities to provide free-charging for employees, supporting its mission as an EV manufacturer.
Similar trend is seen across the Atlantic
Across the Atlantic, Siemens, the German company, offers free EV charging in over a hundred company locations all over Germany. Another German corporation, Bosch, has launched an app – Charge My EV @ Bosch, allowing not just employees but also associates, guests and visitors to get easy access to the numerous chargers in the company’s facilities.
The EV Meter advantage
EV Meter, a renowned global manufacturer of EV charging stations, offers the kind of advantages that these and other companies would find extremely useful for their employees. As EV Meter is powered by Nayax’s cashless payment solution, it includes the ability to pay with a prepaid card. This would let businesses track usage of the chargers. And while many businesses are currently offering their EV charging services as a free perk, it might not be something that would be provided as such to visitors and suppliers. EV Meter lets this clientele easily pay for a charging session with the use of a credit/debit card or mobile payment app such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more. And if in the future, a company decides to charge employees for this privilege, EV Meter lets companies set varied pricing, to provide their own workers with discounts, while charging guests a different fee.
Additional benefits to installing EV Meter
The EV Meter electric vehicle charging stations offer universal charging through dual Level 2 AC chargers that are compatible with all EVs and PHEVs. And with an eye to the bottom line, EV Meter is cost-effective with its dual charging capabilities. This allows two cars to simultaneously be hooked up to a single EV Meter charging station without any change in the speed or volume of charge.
Workplace charging will play a major role in the overall charging eco-system of the future and it’s possible that free charging for employees won’t be sustainable. Companies will also want to avoid asking employees to buy EV charging subscriptions and memberships – with the convenience of using existing employee ID cards or fobs the use of EV Meter that will not be necessary. And the ability for EV Meter to be accessible to all via multiple, open cashless payment options opens a company’s charging stations to all stakeholders.
