4 ways smart EV charging infrastructure can benefit your business

Over the past several years, research analyst firms have increased their electric vehicle forecasts as demand for EVs continues to surpass earlier projections. Wood Mackenzie now expects the global electric vehicle market to surpass 37 million by 2025 and notes this electric revolution relies on smart EV infrastructure in the right mix of locations. The report goes on to outline the rise of workplace charging. Their research indicates that North America and Europe could see 500,000 workplace charging stations by 2022 and over 1.25 million commercial charging stations at workplaces by 2025.

Unaware about what benefits EV chargers offer?

4 ways EV charging can benefit your business

Reap EV rebates while you can

In an effort to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles, federal, state, and local governments have sought to provide incentives and subsidies for individuals and businesses who embrace change.

• Federal tax credits –The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides a tax credit for all owners of EVs. Per the U.S. Department of Energy: All-electric and plug-in hybrid cars purchased in or after 2010 may be eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500. The credit amount will vary based on the capacity of the battery used to power the vehicle. State and/or local incentives may also apply. Fortunately for you, businesses that switch their company cars over can claim this credit. But doing so necessitates the installation of EV charging stations.
  • State and local rebates – Depending on your state, your business may be eligible for a host of electric car tax credits for both switching over to electric company cars and installing stations. For example, the National Grid incentive program covered 100% of the EVSE costs including hardware, software, EV charger installation and maintenance for a new project at Gillette Stadium for a total of $183,733. 50 JuiceBox Pro electric vehicle smart charging stations will be installed throughout Patriot Place.

Today, in California there are nearly 10 local commercial incentives which include:

CALeVIP - Fresno County Incentive Project

The Fresno County Incentive Project (FCIP) provides rebates for the purchase and installation of Level 2 EV charging stations in Fresno County. Rebates of up to $4,000 for single port EV chargers and up to $7,000 for dual port EV chargers available.

CALeVIP - Sacramento County Incentive Project

The Sacramento County Incentive Project provides up to $6,500 per Level 2 charger and up to $80,000 per DC fast charger (or 80% of total project cost, whichever is less). An additional $1,000 per connector is available for multi-unit dwellings (MUD).

LADWP Commercial EVSE Rebate

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) provides rebates to commercial customers toward the purchase of Level 2 EVSE. Commercial customers who purchase and install EVSE for employee and public use can receive up to $5,000 for each charger, with up to $750 in additional rebate funds per extra charge port.

MCEv Charging Program

MCE’s EV Charging Program covers both large and small charging stations (from 2 to 20+ charging ports) and provides up to $3,000 per Level 2 charging port installed.

Pasadena Department of Water & Power Commercial EVSE Rebate

PWP provides rebates of $3,000 per port for commercial, workplace, multi-unit dwelling (MUD), and fleet customers for the installation of networked Level 2 EVSE, or rebates of $1,500 per port for non-networked Level 2 EVSE.

SCE EVSE Rebate

Southern California Edison (SCE) offers electric vehicle drivers a rebate of up to $1,500 toward their expenses for the electrical upgrades and permitting fees necessary for EVSE installation.

SMUD Commercial EVSE Rebate

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) offers rebates for commercial customers to purchase and install Level 2 EVSE and DC-fast chargers at their business. Eligible applicants may receive up to $6,500 per connector for a Level 2 charger and up to $80,000 per DC Fast Charger.

San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District Commercial Rebate

The SLOPC District is offering commercial rebates covering up to 65% of project costs for EVSE installed in the San Luis Obispo District.

• Incentives can often cover up to 100% of the cost, making EV charging an excellent investment for commercial businesses It is important to move quickly to implement you EV charging strategy because the incentives that exist today to encourage market growth might not be there in 5 or 10 years.

If you want to see what your potential state and local rebates and tax incentives are, check out our current and comprehensive incentive overview.

Promote sustainability

If your business is pushing a sustainability strategy, adding EV charging stations is one of the easiest steps you can take. By adding charging stations, you demonstrate to both your employees and customers that you are taking action to promote sustainability and do your part in reducing emissions.

Providing EV charging can also earn you points towards recognized sustainability metrics. Installing EV charging can help earn LEED certification through credits provided for installing charging stations. And by encouraging employees to ditch their ICE vehicles for EVs, you can report the associated emissions reductions from cleaner employee commutes, which count toward the Scope 3 emissions under the GHG Protocol for corporate sustainability reporting.

If you want to include EV charging as part of a corporate sustainability strategy, it is essential to go with smart EV charging infrastructure. Smart EV charging often includes a dashboard such as JuiceNet Enterprise, which offers energy optimization to manage EV charging energy use and the ability to view reports on energy usage and calculate carbon offsets across your entire organization. With smart EVSE, you can even help utilities implement strategies to use EV charging electric load as a tool to help integrate renewable energy into the electric grid. With the right smart EV charging software, EV charging can be synchronized with the highest levels of cleaner energy or paused at times when it would result in the introduction of high-emission energy generation.

Over time, your continued action of promoting sustainability will allow others to see that you mean it. As a result, they will begin to trust you when you speak on a subject or take action to mitigate your carbon emissions. Eventually, this helps to build up your authority as a brand that genuinely cares about business sustainability.

Entice customers

Adding charging stations can help you with customers in two key ways:

Build goodwill – Consumers, especially millennials, increasingly care about associating with corporations that promote sustainability. They are more motivated to work for a company that produces a product or service they believe in and also creates it in a responsible way. Several recent studies back this notion. For example, Entrepeneur.com reports on a recent Nielsen study, researchers analysed purchases of three of the most common fast-moving consumer goods: coffee, chocolate and bath products. Nielsen chose these three products because of their vast differences from each other. What they found was that products with sustainability claims generally outperformed the growth rate of total products in their respective categories. Customers will be encouraged to indulge in your business if they see that you are eco-friendly and well-rounded in customer accommodations.By having EV charging stations, you build goodwill with customers who see them and intuitively understand that you also care deeply about the environment.

Attract customers with EVs – Charging stations can also attract new and loyal customers eager to patronize businesses that are supporting the transition to electric mobility. If you run a restaurant or a hotel, you might entice customers with your charging stations who might otherwise go somewhere else. For example: The Carlisle House Bed & Breakfast in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, added electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for its guests to use during their stay. Owner Alan Duxbury said that he's conscious of his environmental footprint and wants to do what he can to reduce it. He hears from customers that the charging station makes the B&B more competitive with big chain hotels nearby that aren't providing this special perk. The installation of an EV charging stations also increases customer "dwell-time" by nearly an hour - meaning more time for customers to spend money at your business. And customers may be willing to pay more at a business that demonstrates sustainability with an investment in EV charging equipment - a recent study by Nielsen found that 72% of respondents from Generation Z were willing to pay more for products and services that come from companies who are committed to positive social and environmental impact.

Retain and enlist talented employees

Similarly, your employees likely care significantly about your actions as a business and its impact on the world. A growing portion of your workforce will make the switch to an electric vehicle, and the ability to charge their vehicle freely at work is a major perk for EV drivers with 74% of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) drivers expressing strong interest in workplace charging in a DOE survey. Young people, in particular, do not wish to work for a corporation that does more harm than good. By adding charging stations for your employees, you accomplish two things:

Incentivize “good behavior” – By providing employees with perks such as free charging and prime parking spots, you demonstrate that you wish to encourage them to join the ranks of EV drivers. Installing charging stations tells them that they will reap the benefits of sustainable living, and incentivizes other employees to join the movement.

Promote sustainability – Adding stations is just one way that you illustrate your business’ deep and abiding care for the earth and conservation efforts. They give your employees something concrete that they can point out to show that your business is a leader.

Adding charging stations to your workplace

As outlined here, there are various clear and evident benefits of adding charging stations to your workplace. But how do you go about doing that? It’s simple—you turn to Enel X Way for help. Enel X Way has worked with thousands of commercial businesses, large and small on smart energy infrastructure projects.

Enel X Way can aid you in your mission to set up smart EV charging infrastructure at your workplace. We offer a variety of products and services that will make the transition seamless. If you are interested in buying less than four smart charging stations today, visit our commercial store here. If you’re interested in more than four stations, sign up for a free consultation here. We’ll work hand in hand with you to set up a charging system that best suits your business’ particular needs.