What sort of EV charger should I install at a Hotel or Motel?

Installing a Destination Charger at a Hotel or Motel

hotel motel car charging

Picking what sort of charger to use can be difficult as there is so much information out there on what sort will be suitable for your hotel or motel. We will go over some options for different destination chargers
Firstly why install a EV charger at a hotel or motel? Simple, people with EV’s will actively look out for places to stay where they can charge overnight. This could be the difference of someone choosing to stay with you vs staying down the road at that other motel, yeah you know the one I am talking about. You can add your charger to the Plugshare site as well as your website so people can find it (free advertising). 

Summary:
Don’t want to read the whole article?
We recommend installing our Smart EV wall charger with socket.
It can be locked down using a swipe card or put in to plug and charge mode for easy use.
Charge your customers $10-$15 per night to use this will cover the power.
Has load balancing so you don’t overload your mains.
You have the ability to slow down/limit the charging if wanted.
Customer bring their own cable to go between the charger and the car.

Charging customers
Choosing to charge people is up to you. An estimate of the cost to charge an EV overnight is around $3 per 100km. Something like a Nissan leaf has a 150km range so it would be around $6 from empty. A vehicle with a larger battery like a Tesla model 3 has a 500km range so this could be up to $15 but keep in mind they are unlikely to arrive at your hotel/motel fully empty so could only require a 200km top up. On average you should allow around $10-$15 per vehicle for overnight charging.

Considerations 
There are a few considerations to look at before choosing the model that will work for you. Some things that you need to consider that we will go in to more detail about are:

  • How many chargers do you want to install
  • Where they will be installed to avoid trip hazards
  • Will they be public or private 
  • How close to the switch board they can be installed
     

Charger and plug types for Hotels and Motels

There are many options depending on your budget and how many outlets/chargers you are going to provide for destination charging.  


Outdoor Plug
outdoor plug
This is the cheapest option. 95% of EV drivers will carry a slow charger that will plug in to a standard wall socket and charge at 8 amps.
If installing an outdoor 3pin plug, make sure its close enough to reach the carpark.
Plugin EV chargers are typically 5m long. Its against the Worksafe regulations to use an extension cord when charging.

Caravan Plug
blue cee caravan plug
Only 10% of EV owners will carry a caravan style plugin EV charger. These charge twice as fast as the standard wall plug charger. If you already have one of these plugs available then it would be worth advertising its availability. However, we would not recommend installing them just for EV charging due to the lack of EV owners carrying these chargers.


Dedicated EV Destination Charger

These are the most attractive to EV owners as they are quick to charge and can easily provide a full charge over night or a top up for the day.
Before choosing the charger there are a number of factors your electrician will consider that could affect the price of install.
1. Distance to switch board , The longer the run the higher the price.
2. How many chargers you want installed
3. The total load on your supply and its current rating. For example, if your current supply is rated to 300A and in peak times you are using 200A then you have 100A of spare capacity and could install 3 x 32A chargers. If you are already close to the limit, then you will need to choose a charger with load monitoring that will limit the charge to prevent it from going over the rated capacity. The Smart EV charger has this option. 

Type one vs Type two EV plug.
There are two standard car end plug types that EVs use.
Type 1 (J772) and Type 2 Mennekes
The Japanese imports use a Type 1 cable on the car end.
NZ new and the New Zealand standard is Type 2.
Having a charger with a Type 2 socket is an advantage as people can use a cable with the correct end on it. 50% of travellers would carry a cable. So it’s a good idea to supply one if people do not have their own.
Type 2 to Type 2 cable
Type 2 to Type 1 cable

Dedicated EV chargers for Hotels & Motels

On a budget 

If you require 1 or 2 chargers and are on a budget then the Smart EV charger 7kWH charger is ideal for this. It’s the cheapest model. 

Positives

  • It is the cheapest wall mount charger in NZ
  • Easy to use – plug and charge
  • Simple install

Negatives

  • It has a tethered Type 2 cable so can’t be used for Type 1 charging. However, if you have a outdoor plug then Type 1 vehicles can still charge if they bring a charger. 
  • No load monitoring
  • No Wifi

Load balancing capable 

The Smart EV charger with DLB has load balancing capability as well as a socket on the front so can be used with Type 1 and Type 2 cables. 
This will allow more than one car to charge a time and has the ability to actively manage the total load of the charging and your total load. 
This is the ideal charger if you are planning on installing more than one unit. 

Load balancing & Wifi control

The Smart EV charge with has built in Wifi and a RFID card, so you can control the charger via an app or card., Turn the charger on and off and setup scheduled charging, monitor how much power has been used. They also have load balancing capability but are suited for single install only. 

Smart EV Charger with DLB and Wifi
Positives

  • Type 2 Socket so can be used with Type 1 and 2 vehicles
  • Load management capable.
  • Wifi built in
  • RFID built in
  • Can be put in to plug and charge mode, (no app or card needed)

Negatives

  • More expensive than the other options.