Why EV Charging Stations Work for Business

Over 3 million electric vehicles (EVs)¹ are now on the road across the United States, and sales of EVs are growing here in Missouri. With more than 50 models now available and many more poised for release over the next several years—including fleet, medium, and heavy-duty options—the demand for charging options to power the vehicles is also anticipated to continue growing.

Likely locations for EV chargers are places where people park their cars for extended periods of time, such as multi-family apartments, places of business and retail locations. Why? For convenience and the time it takes to get a charge. There are different types of chargers, depending on the need of the business, which you can learn about here.

Give Your Employees, Customers & Tenants a Place to Charge EVs

Offering commercial EV charging at your business location offers many benefits, like attracting and retaining top workforce talent, establishing your company as a leader in sustainability and increasing customer satisfaction and time spent at your establishment.

In the spirit of making it easy for you, Ameren Missouri offers this QuickStart Guide that covers everything you need to know about the types of charging equipment, how to choose the best location and steps to plan for installation.

Workplace

Installing EV charging stations at work is ideal, since people tend to remain at these places for extended periods of time. The energy needed for Missouri’s average daily commute of 40 miles can easily be recovered during the workday. Your employees will love workplace charging, and you can use it as a recruiting tool to attract talent. It will also help create a stronger culture of sustainability and encourage electric vehicle adoption.

Workplaces can also consider EV for fleet vehicles, such as security and campus-use vehicles. Your EV fleet could also use the onsite chargers, maximizing installation investments, while saving you money on fuel costs.

Retail

Retail locations like malls, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels and more can often benefit from EV charging. Visitors are able to "top off" their vehicle while at these locations, making them a destination, and encouraging longer visits. In fact, EV drivers tend to plan their shopping trips around charging access.

Parking Facilities

Another great opportunity for EV charging is public parking garages and lots. These lots can benefit from different types of charging, depending on average dwell time. Urban, short-term lots can offer quick charging opportunities. Longer term lots, often adjacent to highways or major routes through and between cities, can be good candidates where drivers on long-distance trips can refuel their EVs while taking a break and visiting local businesses.

Multi-Family Dwellings

A multi-family dwelling, like an apartment building, is another great location for EV charging. In these instances, dedicated charging stations are preferred to ensure residents can access charging whenever needed, without the difficulty of coordinating with neighbors.

There are several ways to offset the cost of the energy, such as implementing a small EV parking fee or including usage in the rent payment. Increasingly, multi-family property owners are choosing to offer EV charging as an amenity to differentiate their property and attract new residents or retain clients.

Take Advantage of Incentives

EV charging stations can be part of a great business plan, especially if you include available incentives. Ameren Missouri’s Charge Ahead program helps local businesses and public facilities make EV charging more widely available for drivers. The Charge Ahead program provides financial assistance, so businesses can install EV chargers at a reduced cost. Businesses can recoup up to 50% of the total project cost. You can learn more about the available incentives. 

Employees, Customers & Tenants Will Love Onsite EV Charging

EV charging at your location will help you create a stronger overall culture, increase satisfaction, and encourage continued electric vehicle adoption, which is great for the environment.

¹https://www.eei.org/issuesandpolicy/electrictransportation/Pages/default.aspx

Learn more about installing an EV charging solution at your place of business.