Between January and June 2021, electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids accounted for 14% of total car sales in Europe. That’s twice the number in the same period in 2020. Obviously, this is great for the planet. But as electric vehicles become ever more popular across Europe, they promise new opportunities for retailers too.
In this article, we want to show you some of the opportunities EV charging can have for retailers. By installing EV charging stations in their car parks, retailers can attract new customers, increase their social and environmental responsibility, and take advantage of a new revenue stream.
Perhaps most importantly, you can deepen relationships with your existing customers, too. CCV can help you enhance customer loyalty this way - and here, we want to show you how.EV adoption is growing at speed.
EV adoption is growing at speed
Around the world, motorists are making the transition to electric - and there’s nowhere that this trend is more apparent than in Europe.
That means the retail customers of the future will be driving EVs. And to get an advantage in this rapidly-changing field, retailers need to act now.
Here’s why ➡
European governments are throwing their weight behind EV infrastructure.
By 2025, the EU aims for one million EV charging points to be operative across Europe. Some of these could be in your retail car park.
By 2035, internal combustion engine vehicles will be a thing of the past.
That’s according to the EU’s plans to reduce carbon emissions across the bloc. Retailers should act now to ensure they can provide for customers in the future.
Europe has the world’s fastest rate of EV adoption.
Between 2016 and 2020, the EV industry’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in Europe was 60% - compared to 36% in China and only 17% in the US.
Commercial buildings are a preferred location for charging.
In Germany, the Gebäude-Elektromobilitätsinfrastruktur-Gesetz mandates that all non-residential buildings with more than 20 vehicle parking spaces must be equipped with at least one charging point by 2025. Meanwhile, in the UK, all new or refurbished commercial buildings will be required to install one too.
How retailers can benefit from EV charging points
In this rapidly-changing context, the retailers that adapt the soonest stand to benefit.
But how?
Here are some of the ways providing EV chargers can help business for retailers:
Attract new customers. As EV adoption grows ever further, you’ll be providing a valued service with which you can attract new customers. For example, your charger will be added to databases and maps of charging points, bringing you customers who wouldn’t normally come by your store. (Note: if you’re interested in how this works, check out our interview with Sjors Martens from Eco-Movement).
Drive loyalty. Alongside new customers, EV charging provides an opportunity to strengthen relations with existing customers. By integrating charging into rewards, discounts, offers, and points-based loyalty systems, you’ll be delivering value to customers while incentivising them to return to your brand.
Boost your green credentials. Providing EV charging can strengthen your green reputation—and this makes a lot of sense for business. Studies have shown that two-thirds of consumers prefer to buy from brands who care about the environment. What’s more? Consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products.
Add a revenue stream. Offering EV charging can provide additional revenues for retailers. These can come from the charging fee itself, of course. But, just as importantly, higher revenues come from the fact that EV users spend more time in your retail environment.
Why does that matter? Studies have revealed that the more time customers spend, the higher your profits will be.
How CCV can help you drive loyalty via EV charging
At CCV, we can help you with the payment technology to make EV loyalty schemes a reality:
Integrated EV payment with in-store shopping. To provide rewards and tailored discounts, retailers need to connect their in-store payment with their EV chargers.
We can make this easy. With a fully-integrated payment ecosystem, your charge points can give customers offers to redeem in-store—or else receive a discount on charging with their shopping. Your EV charging business model is completely up to you, but we’ll help you put it into practice.
Quick example: With the CCV IM30, you can directly scan barcodes or QR codes with an integrated reader. This makes it easy to reward your loyal customers with points.
Customer recognition across touchpoints. Track customers from EV charge, to in-store payment, to online purchase. CCV’s tokenisation solutions allow you to recognise the customer in the retail environment and at the charge point.
With our help, you can understand your customers preferences and purchasing habits across all touchpoints—and integrate EV charging into personalised offers.
Closed- or open-loop systems. At charge points, rewards can be for every customer, or just for those with a closed-loop loyalty card. No matter how you want to manage your EV charging business, at CCV we have the expertise to support you.
Questions? Get in in contact with our mobility team
Maria Joukovitch
Head of Sales - Mobility Solutions
Niek Seuren
Sales Lead Mobility - EV Charging & Service Stations
Sebastiaan Frehe
Commerical Product Manager