Should I Add EV Charging for My Employees?

Today, businesses are actively looking for ways to practice sustainability to attract and retain a modern workforce with value-added office perks, while maintaining their bottom line. One simple way businesses are meeting this objective is by adding commercial electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations to their offices. Brookings estimates that over 76 percent of Americans still drive alone to work every day. One way to improve your employees’ commute is by enabling EV charging at work. Not only can employees take the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane to work with an EV and arrive faster, they can also charge up conveniently. There are a lot of benefits to installing smart EV infrastructure at work today versus waiting another five or ten years.

Why Businesses Are Adding EV Charging for Employees

Employee Perk

There is fierce competition to attract employee talent in metro hubs like the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston and others. As an employer, it’s also hard to offer solutions that address systemic local challenges like affordable housing, horrendously long commutes times and other things that affect the well-being of your employees.

However, offering EV charging at work is a tangible way of improving daily commutes and employee productivity. By installing smart charging stations for your employees to use, you show that you care about improving their daily routines and the existential threat of climate change. By providing EV charging stations on business grounds, you can easily expect the following results:

• Increased productivity -- Employees are more likely to have improved performance within the workplace such as punctuality and better time management if they don’t have to worry about where and when they will be able to charge their vehicle. Also, many states and provinces in North America allow electric vehicle drivers to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane. In California, EV drivers can apply for the HOV sticker and access the “fast lane” during rush hour commute times for up to four years - meaning less time stuck in traffic and valuable hours of productive time added back to employee’s day.

• Happier workers -- Charging infrastructure can demonstrate your commitment to your employees with this perk. If a business demonstrates care for its employees by providing eco-friendly transportation options, those employees are more likely to be content in their positions and therefore yield more positive performance results.

In addition, taking action to reduce your carbon footprint can help instill them with a sense of pride that they work for an employer that values the same things as them. Our commercial customers have found that by offering corporate amenities like EV charging, they’ve been able to increase employee loyalty, which is essential for the longevity and productivity of their business.

According to an interview with Regional Wellness Coordinator Ted Major, "The ability to charge my car at work was a deciding factor in my family's decision to purchase an all-electric vehicle. Our community is currently debating whether to add centralized chargers so we quite literally depend on the availability of the work chargers to keep our Spark on the road!"

EV charging is a benefit that is highly valued by employees who drive an EV, with a DOE survey on workplace charging finding that 90% of employers receive positive feedback on their workplace charging programs from staff. Employers who go the extra mile to provide perks are appreciated by their employees, and with the availability of incentive programs across the United States to cover CAPEX, EV charging can often be a cost-effective way to improve employees’ workplace experience.

Energy Rebate

Depending on the location in which you live, EVSE rebate eligibility may be yet another benefit to installing commercial charging stations into work zones.

Rebate perks vary from location to location. The upside to installing more charging stations into more businesses means that community rebates will be strengthened.

Promote Sustainability and the Shift Towards Electric Mobility

As the conversation around climate change becomes increasingly more important, the world is collectively moving towards sustainability and conservationism. Both small and large businesses can impact the amount of greenhouse gas emissions within their communities by installing EV charging stations. Additionally, providing charging stations for your employees will encourage more people to move towards this eco-friendlier lifestyle.

Literally Puts Your Business on the Map

The world has gone digital. A digital presence has become a prerequisite to success for any business, and offering EV charging is one way to attract customers off the roads and into your business.

Consider a family traveling in an electric vehicle—they’ll need to stop and charge along their journey. They search "EV charging stations near me." Don’t you want the name of your company or small business to pop up in the search engine? Over time, your business will become known as a local charging hub and repeat customers will come to enjoy the services your business offers while they top up their charge.

According to Nauna's Bella Casa Restaurant owner Tom Moloughney, "Many of the people that come to plug in and eat tell me they only came to Nauna's because of the chargers in the parking lot, and that they didn't know of the restaurant before finding it on their EV charging app," said Moloughney who has been driving electric since 2009. "I'm averaging about five or six electric vehicles per week now, and the number is definitely on the rise."

Adding Charging Stations to Your Workplace

Adding EV charging to your business provides many benefits, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining employees. If you’re convinced and wondering how to go about the process, look no further than Enel X. We have helped thousands of businesses and individuals add charging stations to their homes and places of work. If you are interested in buying less than four smart charging stations today, visit our commercial store here. If you’re interested in purchasing more than four stations, sign up for a free consultation here.

Together, we can get your business sustainability plan rolling today!