U.S. Hotels to Get Major Boost in Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Joe Cortez June 20, 2023
EV tracking website Electrek reports LNG Electric is rolling out a plan to install the charging stations at popular hotel brands by 2028 at the latest.
Charging Stations to be Introduced in Midwest and Florida
The company is working with digital infrastructure partner MD7 to identify not only how many chargers should be installed, but where they would be the most efficient for travelers across the United States. LNG is planning to install a combination of Level 2, Level 3, and DC fast charging stations at many popular hotel brands, including Marriott and Hilton.
The first chargers in the network will be installed at hotels in the Midwest, including Illinois and Ohio. Florida will also see some chargers installed at hotel properties. From there, the company’s goal is to place charging stations at enough hotels to represent up to 15% of the U.S. hospitality market.
There’s no word if travelers will earn additional loyalty rewards for charging their EVs at one of the hotels in LNG’s charging network.
EV Charging Stations Among New Amenities to Bring Back Travelers
The new network of electric vehicle charging stations are just another new feature hotels are rolling out to attract travelers back to their properties. While some are going all-out on their room service options, others are partnering with travel providers to keep more flyers in their network.
Get the best insider information on thousands of hotels worldwide from other FlyerTalkers with our Expert Hotel Reviews.
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I rented an electric vehicle to take a 65 mile day trip - literally just a single wine tasting and lunch in Sonoma.
I received the vehicle with 50% charge - this was insufficient to get me there and back meaning I had to find a charger. The Tesla Model Y rental didn't have adapters, so I could not use the first place I found. I then found a non-fast Tesla charger at a hotel; 2 hours of charging got me high enough I could get back to SF.
After returning to the city, I had to find a fast charger to bring the charge back to the starting level - it turns out there are 2 Tesla Fast chargers anywhere near downtown SF. The closest one turned out to be a valet parking - meaning I got to pay for parking as well as the fast charge. It took 40 minutes to get back to the point where I could return the vehicle. Net cost to me was probably only 10% to 15% under gasoline cost; with the valet fee it was probably a wash. But the 3 hours spent looking for chargers and getting charged was comparable to the entire period spent in Sonoma and consumed 30% of the car rental period.
Never again.
Please. Sounds like you have an anti EV agenda. I've owned a Tesla for over a year, and finding superchargers is easy - it literally picks them for you en route to your destination, as they are plentiful.
going to a hotel valet sounds like poor decision making and planning. Don't blame EVs.
I also have a Telsa and consider it the best car I've owned among a dozen or so. I also find it very easy to charge, but I wouldn't recommend it as a rental for someone who is unfamiliar with it. There is a small learning curve, which is not ideally learned during a first-time rental. The exception, of course, would be someone who wants an extended test drive by renting one.
Your trip was 65 miles EACH WAY, so 130 miles total. And no matter which route you took, you passed several Superchargers along the way. They should always be your first choice for charging. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but this is an easy trip to make.
FWIW: Level 3 and DC Fast Charging are synonymous; not different types. So basically they're installing a combination of L2 and L3 charging stations.
I guess American didn't pay up.