Adoption of plug-in vehicles is accelerating across Europe. In 2020, sales of full electric cars in the region surpassed 500,000.
In Ireland, EV car sales posted growth in 2020 despite a 24.6% drop in overall car sales due to the pandemic. The data from SIMI further showed that the number of sold plug-in vehicles, including hybrids, reached 17,491 which is 16.7% more than the total number of units sold in 2019.
The demand for EVs is expected to skyrocket in the coming years as Ireland and other EU nations implement tighter regulations on fossil fuelled cars to cut their carbon emissions significantly. In fact, the Irish government intends to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.
Clearly, EVs are here to stay, and if you want your business to thrive in the so-called age of electric vehicles, you need to keep up. You have to put up an EV charging infrastructure in your premises not only for your employees but also for your customers.
How Businesses Can Benefit from Having EV Charging Points
Increase Your Revenues
Having charging points at your site can help grow your earnings by keeping customers on your site longer and having an additional source of revenue.
Naturally, customers are going to stay within your premises as they charge their vehicles. This can be an opportunity for you to boost your sales. At the very least, you can keep them within your premises for an hour (with a fast-charging system) which is already enough time for you to encourage them to purchase your products or services.
Your EV charging points can also be a new stream of revenue for you. Depending on the business model you choose, you can ask EV owners to pay when using your charger or offer free charging if they purchase your product or service. Whatever approach you take, you can generate additional funds using your EV charger.
Keep Existing Customers and Attract New Ones
Consumers these days put a premium on the ethical reputation of companies. They have a more positive image of organisations that champion environmental and social issues.
According to a study, 88% of consumers will stay loyal to a company that supports environmental and social causes. Hence, by having a charging facility at your site, you increase your chances of keeping your customers as it sends the message that your company is committed to reducing carbon emissions.
You can also attract new customers as the study showed that 92% of consumers are likely to trust companies that support environmental issues.
In addition, when electric cars become ubiquitous, business EV chargers will be essential facilities. Consumers will expect to have their go-to shops and restaurants to have EV chargers at their site.
Those who fail to provide this ‘need’ are surely going to see a decline in their sales as their clients move to companies that can give them the convenience of charging their EVs while they shop or dine.
Why Install Charging Points Now
While it may still take a decade for EVs to outnumber petrol and diesel cars, now is already the best time to install chargers within your business premises. One of the best reasons to do this is to take advantage of the incentives that the Irish Government offers.
To encourage more people to shift to EVs, countries all over Europe have introduced various incentives schemes. In Ireland, there is the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) – a tax incentive for companies that invest in energy efficient products and equipment, including EV charging units.
The ACA scheme lets companies deduct the full cost of their purchased EV charger from their taxable profits on the same year that they bought it. This reduces the income tax they have to pay.
Just like the SEAI EV Home Charger grant, the ACA is undeniably an excellent incentive. But these Government grants have time limits – they will not be available forever. Hence, company owners like you who want to maximise cost savings for their EV infrastructure need to act now while these incentives are still in place.
Are you planning to install charging points at your business site? Let us help you make this happen! ePower offers high-quality EV chargers and expert installation service. Call us on 1800 99 88 77 or send us an email to learn more about our products and services.
