In some states, like Arizona, Nevada and Florida, the EV population is already over 5% and in California it is already 10% or more.

The current federal government’s green energy policy is heavily focused on maximizing electric vehicle ownership. In fact, incentives are offered to new EV buyers in the form of a $7,500 tax credit.

For the previously mentioned projections to be realized, the federal government has recognized that a massive investment is needed to create a nationwide infrastructure of electric vehicle charging stations – it is estimated that the United States needs 450,000 stations. In addition, this infrastructure must include publicly accessible EV charging stations.

The charging problem and the potential

An electric vehicle with a fully charged battery has a range of between 250 and 300 miles. Thus, drivers who plan round trips that exceed 50% of their battery range are forced to plan their trip around where they can locate one or more accessible charging stations, which is a more difficult task than it may not be. it seems.

Unlike gas-powered vehicles where drivers can fill up at one of thousands of gas stations, the electric vehicle driver has far fewer options. However, EV drivers with smartphones can download an EV station location map.

Is the problem solved? No.

Just because the map shows the location of a charging station does not mean that it is accessible to the public. The majority of stations are installed in a growing number of hotels or within multi-family communities in lifestyle destinations, such as golf clubs, and the use of the EV station is restricted to guests, residents or members .

For brick-and-mortar businesses, the federal government is offering a 30% federal tax credit of up to $30,000 to commercial businesses that purchase and install commercial electric vehicle charging stations. The credit can be applied per location and thus meets the needs of multi-station hosts. These tax credits have been extended until 2025 to encourage the growth of public charging stations.

In addition to the federal tax credit, a growing number of electric utilities are now offering rebates and incentives to EV station operators, further reducing an operator’s capital cost if purchasing an EV charger. VE.

Rapid growth in the number of electric vehicles is already underway, presenting a great opportunity for car wash businesses – full-service and unattended – to add a self-service electric vehicle charging station or two. to the property. Use of these stations can be purchased by customers with credit card activation, and operators can vary per-minute billing costs.

Identifying your charging stations on location maps as publicly accessible will attract out-of-area EV traffic as well as EV owners within your local market. Not all EV drivers have a home charger – people who live in apartments or condos often live on properties that don’t have EV charging facilities.

Today, consumers have a wide range of electric vehicles to choose from, ranging in price from $100,000 to $30,000. The brands that produce electric vehicles are Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW, Jaguar, Volvo, Volkswagen, Infiniti, Lexus, Ford, GMC, Chevy, Nissan, Toyota, Mini-Cooper, Hyundai and Kia. In fact, Ford is currently investing millions in building US factories that will exclusively produce electric vehicles by 2025.

Regardless of the brand of EV purchased, there is a common denominator among drivers: the need to recharge the battery system.

Currently, there are only about 150,000 electric vehicle charging stations across the country. Yet there are millions of gas pumps. Although there are smartphone apps designating charging locations, electric vehicle drivers are at a significant disadvantage compared to their gas-powered counterparts.

Most EV charging stations are considered Level 2, which adds up to 30 miles of range per hour and costs drivers between $4 and $5 per hour of charging. For an operator operating a commercial charging station, this charging costs between $0.85 and $0.95 per hour of charging at peak rates.

Additionally, by promoting the availability of an EV charging station at a car wash site through various marketing practices, operators will increasingly attract new customers as the owner population of VE will increase.

cost factor

A single pad with two Level 2 chargers, which can power two EVs at once, costs around $7,500, not including the installation price. A base with a level 2 charger costs around $3,750. The price of the installation varies according to the distance between the master panel and the location of the charging station.

Level 3 DC superchargers are another available option, but require three-phase power and cost between $46,000 and $65,000 before installation. The advantage of these chargers is the significantly reduced charging time. In 30 minutes, these SuperChargers add 150 miles of range to vehicles. A reduced fast charger has also been released recently, but also requires three-phase power. The Fast Charger can add up to 100 miles in 30 minutes and should cost around $26,500 before installation.

Suitability of location

Before thinking about installing an EV charging station, companies are advised to take a look at their daily traffic. A minimum traffic of 12,000 vehicles entering a site per day is advised unless there are valid reasons why lower traffic may warrant a charging station.

Richard S. Cooper is an independent consultant based in Charleston, South Carolina who focuses on the growing need for commercial electric vehicle charging stations nationwide. Richard can work with you to determine which type of EV charging station is most appropriate for your site and coordinate supply and installation through its network of licensed commercial electrical contractors who will provide you with an included quote. You can contact Richard at 843-364-5413 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST or by email at [email protected]