Car-charging stations get juice at hotels

EV charging at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte

The plug-in battery-powered automobile is due to get a major boost in awareness this year with the arrival of the first mainstream brands: the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.

Electric cars, which have been floating around as an option to the gasoline-guzzling, internal-combustion automobile since the gas shortages of the 1970s, offer several benefits, including a reduction in pollution and less dependence on foreign oil.

But potential stumbling blocks to the adoption of electric cars remain: They are significantly more expensive compared to conventional gasoline-driven automobiles and even hybrid vehicles. Taking aim at the high prices, the government has established policies and economic incentives, such as tax credits, to overcome existing barriers to promote the sales of electric cars and to fund further development of these vehicles.

Another obstacle to building a base of early adopters: The electric car can only travel about 100 miles before it needs another charge, and there is a lack of public and private recharging infrastructures. This has opened the door for several hotels to install charging stations out front, usually near the valet station, for their guests’ use.

So far this year, the major introductions were The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte (N.C.), which became the first urban hotel in the Southeast to offer a permanently installed charging station for use by guests driving electric vehicles, and the Parc 55 Wyndham in San Francisco, which unveiled several charging stations in January.

These hotels join others that installed charging stations last year, such as the Hilton San Francisco Financial District Hotel, which did so in September, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Element Hotels. The Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis., is the first Midwest resort to unveil an electric car charging station, and The Hamilton Park Hotel and Conference Center in New Jersey has installed electric charging stations in its parking lot. Later this year, the Memphis Peabody Hotel will get four charging stations as part of a state-funded program.

As more hotels install these charging stations, it boosts awareness of the availability of electric cars, as well as much-needed charging stations.

Inizio at RC Charlotte

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte was constructed specifically to meet the specifications of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold rating, said Lawrence Hindle, director of engineering, who also oversees the hotel’s green program.

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte charger station is located in the front of the hotel and is free for guests.

Hindle said it cost less than $20,000, including installation.

It includes Level One and Level Two charges; the first is basically to “top off” a still-charged car; Level Two offers a full charge, which can take four to eight hours based on the charge.

“We consider it to be an amenity for a guest,” Hindle said. “People will buy these cars. Most parking garages and cities don’t have charging stations yet. We are trying to be ahead of the green curve.”

The charging is free for hotel guests, and not for public use.

Hindle believes the introductions of the Volt and Leaf will help expand awareness, and turn what is a novelty into a viable solution. But it will take time, primarily due to the cost of the cars, he said.

Starwood's Element Charging Station

“The Leaf and Volt run from $30,000 to $40,000, but there is a federal tax credit if you buy these cars,” he said. Hindle also said more car brands will expand the availability of electric cars, which helps bring the price down.

“You see 40 to 60 hybrids on the road today—much higher percentages are being sold,” Hindle said. “Hotels need to start looking at this.”

The Parc 55 Wyndham in San Francisco recently installed four Level One chargers and two Level Two chargers, according to Matthew Martinucci, director of sales and marketing.

The hotel calls the charger station a “Juice Bar,” and it also cost less than $20,000 to install the whole set-up. There is no charge for guests, and the hotel lets non-guests use the Juice Bar.

“Convenience will be key for this new technology,” Martinucci said.

“This year is the first year multiple electric cars will be available,” Martinucci said.  “I think people understand that the future needs to involve alternatives to fuel, not just gasoline. As a country, we need to move beyond gas.”