The greatest question for most convenience store retailers around e-Mobility is, when to invest. Not too early, not too late – just right on time.
Timelines and predictions about electric vehicle adoption vary widely depending on who is in the conversation. Those on the conservative side say, “charging takes too long,” arguing that consumers will wait until the charging experience catches up with the current fueling experience before considering an electric vehicle purchase.
With the news of a battery capable of a five-minute charge, it appears that time could be coming sooner rather than later.
As our e-Mobility team has said before, the technology currently exists to charge in 5-10 minutes, but vehicles have historically created a battery bottleneck that slows down charge times.
With charging rates comparable to fueling, that barrier into e-Mobility may soon be eliminated.
Combine that with the new projection of a 71% increase in electric vehicle sales in 2021 - on top of a 30% boost in 2020 (despite the ongoing pandemic).
The next big EV barrier: “range anxiety.”
Right now, the infrastructure just doesn’t exist for long-distance road trips in the United States, but that’s changing too. Many states are now offering special funding programs to help businesses get started with EV infrastructure, carving out connected EV corridors around the country.
Need funding? We can help with that - here.
Whether drivers or businesses will adopt e-Mobility first has always been a “chicken vs. the egg” debate – but the trends are starting to show which will come first.
Ready to get started on your EV charging plans for your c-store or gas station? Contact us today!