EVCS Makes Hosting Chargers Easier Than Ever

December 1, 2022

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Site hosts are an integral part of the EV revolution. They are the supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, gyms, office buildings, movie theaters, parking lots, retail stores and municipal properties – among others – that install and accommodate EV chargers for public use. Without these green warriors, progress would not be possible. Every day, we’re hard at work educating potential new site hosts on 1) how simple it is to have our chargers installed and 2) the key benefits of doing so. However, with so many still unaware, we thought we’d take a moment to summarize both the process and the perks!

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Our Complete Turnkey Solution

We handle every aspect of the installation process so that site owners have to do nothing but sign off and allow us access to the property. We will install up to 10 Level 2 and/or two Level 3 chargers per site depending on the owner’s needs. The process itself includes five basic steps:

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1) Site Assessment – Our knowledgeable staff will consult with the site host on everything from local compliance issues to design requirements to implementation obstacles to ensure viability.

2) Permitting – We maintain up-to-date intel on all local regulations and requirements so that site hosts don’t have to. We obtain the necessary permits, manage all site inspections and keep a complete master file of all pertinent records.

3) Engineering and Civil Work – Our experienced team of civil and electrical engineers will draft the installation plans, determine whether utility upgrades are needed, and handle all trenching, backfilling and pavement work.

4) Charger Procurement and Installation – We have relationships with this best charger manufacturers in the business. We’ll source, install, wire, test and commission each unit so it’s ready for operation.

5) Charger Management – Our state-of-the-art networking software makes it a breeze to track charger usage, manage operations (even during peak demand windows) and ensure hardware health.

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Okay, by this point, many site hosts are thinking, “This is all well and good, but how much will it cost me?” The answer: Nothing. EVCS is able to tap into state and federal subsidies that front the cost of installation so that the property owner doesn’t pay a penny. And if that sounds great, the benefits are even better.

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Key Benefits for Site Hosts

In addition to being the proud purveyor of top-notch Level 2 and 3 charging stations, site hosts enjoy a number of other hard-to-beat gains, including the following:

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1) New Revenue – Site hosts share in the recurring revenue generated from every kilowatt-hour of electricity sold. Over time, this can add up to a significant new income stream with very little effort on the site host’s part.

2) Free Maintenance – We offer five full years of upkeep, service and repairs, significantly beating the average one- to three-year warranty, according to EV Safe Charge, offered by most manufacturers.

3) Electrical Upgrades – If the property requires an electrical upgrade for installation, we handle it free of charge, saving owners with older, outdated electric systems potentially thousands of dollars.

4) Free Publicity – Our mobile app and website allows EV drivers to quickly locate the property and determine what type of chargers are there. As such, site hosts inevitably begin attracting new customers from a fast-growing market segment.

5) Environmental Health – Every charger installed is one more step toward creating a cleaner planet with fewer tailpipe emissions and less reliance on fossil fuels. Moreover, an EVCS charger on the property lets others know the site host is just as committed to the environment as we are!

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After all this, the bigger question for property owners is not, “Should I become a site host?,” but rather, “Why didn’t I become one sooner?”

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More information can be found on our website here: https://www.evcs.com/customers

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Installation of the Month (June 2021): Hyatt Place Riverside/Downtown

The ability to travel is something many of us take for granted. Our Interstate Highway System allows us to freely traverse state boundaries – to go wherever we choose whenever we choose – from the snow-capped Colorado Rockies to the soupy Everglade swamplands to the historic lighthouses of coastal New England. However, EV drivers are more acutely aware of their travel limitations because many areas of the country have yet to adopt pro-electric infrastructure policies, often leaving them with few ground-travel options other than ICE vehicles. We knew getting more Americans to embrace the electric revolution would require buy-in from the hospitality industry. As such, much of our focus has gone toward hotels that, by serving as site hosts for charging stations, can help kickstart that ubiquitous access required to convert many EV holdouts.

Wall Street Journal Piece Brings Up Questions… And We Answer

Stephen Wilmot’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Investors Look for an EV Charge,” debates the merits of investing in EV infrastructure, admitting that while chargers likely make for better investments than cars, the sector still holds many potential pitfalls that should be considered before jumping in. While that may be true, many of the examples backing up this assertion cite the business models of the largest EV installers in the country while failing to consider what less visible but faster-growing companies like EVCS are doing to mitigate such risks. Below are a few quotes from the article and our thoughts on them, including how we’re different.

Commentary on EV Industry Profitability Claims

In a recent Driving.ca article titled “EV-Charging Industry is Doing Everything Except Making Money,” author David R. Baker makes a compelling argument that the EV infrastructure sector is a revenue desert, essentially incapable of generating enough cash flow to sustain profitability due to a lack of interest from motorists. “The dilemma boils down to demand,” he states, before adding that “lots of people still driving gasoline-powered cars won’t consider going electric until they see charging stations widely deployed.”

Installation of the Month (May 2021): LADOT Lot 656

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) notes on its website that ICE vehicles are one of the city’s top contributors to air pollution, accounting for 19% of all greenhouse gas emissions, before proclaiming, “We can do better… We’re investing in public transit, testing new technology, and adopting mobility innovations for a cleaner environment and brighter future.” At first, it might just sound like flowery rhetoric, but we can personally attest to that commitment. Starting in 2019, LADOT partnered with us to install DCFCs at 57 city-owned lots, with almost 30% of those installations now completed. This alliance has been integral in promoting our goal of zero-emission mobility in the City of Angels by facilitating greater access to infrastructure.

Addressing Pain Points in Creating EV Infrastructure

A recent GovTech.com article titled “How Biden Plans to Build 500 EV Charging Stations” discusses the President’s goals for creating a nationwide network of 500,000 such installations by 2030. While it does a smart job laying out many of the pain points we face in facilitating EV adoption, the mention of solutions was far less prevalent, and ones that were mentioned seemed speculative or tenuous. However, over the last three years, EVCS has already taken the lead in addressing many of these challenge areas, allowing us to dominate the installation market across the West Coast.