The Electric Vehicle (EV) is regarded by many as the future of motoring. Consumers are buying hybrid and electric cars in increasing numbers – the registration of new cars hit a 12-year high in 2017, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and electric vehicles made up a record share of these numbers. There are now more than two million electric cars on the roads globally, with substantially more anticipated over the next five years. So, EVs and their infrastructure are an increasingly pressing concern across both the private and public sector.

Electric car charging stations

The simplicity of the EV is one of its major plus points for drivers – it is efficient to run and easy to refuel from an electric car charger at home or in public. There are currently some 14,000+ EV charging stations across the UK with numbers rising every month. For businesses large and small, the need to provide on-premises EV charging solutions is increasingly pressing, whether to accommodate employees or guests. Furthermore, there are numerous business benefits to planning for electric car charging points installation on site.

The benefits of EV charging points for businesses

1. Future-proof your business. Government pressure on businesses to make more environmentally sound choices about the vehicles they provide for staff is likely to become intense in the next decade. Even for those enterprises where transport is the employee’s personal choice, there could be tax and financial advantages to influencing a greener vehicle choice. For those looking to establish a competitive advantage and to be equipped to cope with the significant expansion of the EV market in the near future- installing electric car charging points now is a smart future proofing move.

2. Providing essential business facilities As EV ownership soars, businesses have an increasing responsibility to provide EV charging points for use by clients, guests and employees. The needs of the EV market are growing exponentially and EV charger installation is an investment worth making to deliver better amenities and business premises that are fit for purpose.

3. Destination charging If you have the kind of business that will benefit from an increase in footfall, the presence of electric vehicle charging points can contribute significantly to this. EV owners are always looking for more convenient locations to charge their cars - while charging, these visitors could potentially even be converted into customers.

4. Supporting brand values If your brand is built on sustainability or environmental awareness then a lack of electric charging points could undermine key brand messages, demonstrating a lack of practical application. However, even for those businesses without this environmental focus, a failure to embrace the need for charging points at the office could become problematic. From attracting top employees looking for lifestyle convenience, to the need to demonstrate a modern and forward thinking approach to infrastructure, the presence (or not) of EV charging points could have much to contribute to business perception and appeal.

5. Simple management ensures the positives outweigh the effort An EV charging station is simple and easy to manage, with user identification and access controls available so that you can decide who uses your charging points. Charge cards for guests or employees are easily managed from a single online system which also provides notifications for the status of your charging points. Plus, with technology such as Dynamic Load Balancing there are no concerns about grid overload, as available power is automatically evenly distributed to all connected charge points.

6. Data insights With charging stations on site you’ll have access to a wide range of useful data, including activity on your charging point(s), kWh-usage, costs and CO2-saving. Reports can be easily compiled for the purposes of internal administration or tax declarations. The convenience of having direct access to this data makes life much easier for a business owner or a fleet manager as there is no third party filtering or removing data before it is passed on. The raw data from the charging stations is directly available and can be used to make quick and simple assessments and to inform key reports.

7. Automatic reimbursement Although your business is providing employees and guests with convenience and power, this doesn’t have to come at a cost. Automatic Reimbursement, which is one of the services included in Shell Recharge’s online user portal for electric car charging services, ensures that your business is reimbursed for the entire cost of the charging session so you don’t bear any of this yourself.

Soon, offering guests and employees somewhere to charge their cars will become the norm. For those businesses keen to be early adopters and competitive in terms of positive brand reputation, there are many reasons to consider electric car charging stations for your premises in 2018.