Why are retail sites installing EV chargers?

Why are EV Charge Point Operators taking such an interest in retail sites? 

The number of EVs on the road is expanding rapidly, however, there is a high demand for reliable charging infrastructure. Retail sites are the perfect locations for EV charging facilities since they have car park space and often strong pre-existing grid connections. The other factor is the facilities and amenities of retail parks. In our recent customer survey 57% of EV drivers said that they preferred to go shopping or grab some food and drink while their car charges. What this means is that drivers will often opt to go to a more pleasant location to wait while charging. 

All of this has led to a trend for EV charging infrastructure to overwhelmingly favour destinations such as retail sites. In the UK 49% of all public chargers are located at destinations such as retail sites, garden and leisure centres and educational facilities. 

So, what are the benefits for retail site owners? 

Firstly, is the generation of passive income. By working with Mer, you do not need to pay for the charging infrastructure or costs associated. Instead, we become a kind of tenant renting the bay spaces, while also offer a profit-sharing agreement as well. This creates a mutual symbiosis between Mer and yourself, whereby Mer’s chargers attract EV drivers who might not have originally visited the site; who then go on to become incidental spenders at the site, shopping while their car charges.

Other benefits emerge when searching for investors, with many investors having sustainability at the core of their portfolios. By installing EV chargers, you can help to forward your organisation’s own net-zero goals while also appealing to future investors. Meanwhile, your tenants also benefit from the chargers as their own staff can charge their cars there, furthermore tenants can enjoy the increased customer footfall. 

What is your approach to installing EV charging?

The first thing before any site installation is to work out the energy available for the site. How much power can the site’s grid connections provide? Is it sufficient for the chargers we plan to install? Most of the time, this question is a simple yes. However, in cases where there might be a need for more, Mer either provides an independent connection or works with IDNO and DNO partners to ensure that we can source the correct amount of energy. Mer will handle the project from start to finish to ensure as minimal a disruption to your normal operations. 

Next, we need to work out what sort of chargers are needed and how many. Mer’s team will spend time getting to know the site and will plan accordingly. One of the main risks is over installation, whereby more chargers than is necessary for demand are installed. This is to be avoided due to overcrowding the car park as well as the carbon emissions created by the unnecessary installations. Mer has learnt over the years that future proofing is of the utmost importance and it’s easier to install more chargers as demand rises rather than over installing. The actual charger models themselves are selected based on your customer behaviour, depending on their average dwell time. Once the plans are in place, we go about the installation. 

Any further messages to retail site owners? 

Be sure to get in early! Right now, with much of the public network of EV chargers being in the pioneering phase, there is a good chance that early adopters will become the preferred location for charging. Ultimately, people are habitual, meaning that they like to follow ingrained routines. By offering easy, reliable charging early, your site is more likely to become part of someone’s charging schedule meaning that you benefit more from both the passive income and incidental spend. 

To help you navigate the complexities of installing a charging hub at your retail site we have created an EV Charging Hubs e-guide. Based on our experience working with retailers, it includes best practice insights from landowners who have installed charging hubs. Download it now.  

Get in touch with us:  

Info.uk@mer.eco  

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