Guide — for site owners
Four ways to add EV charging to a hotel
A hotel can add EV charging for guests in four main ways: buy and run the chargers itself, buy them and pay a company to run them, lease them, or host chargers owned by a funded operator such as EV Plus. This guide compares what each one costs the hotel, who does the work and who keeps the charging revenue.
The four options
1. Buy and run the chargers yourself
The hotel buys the chargers and pays for installation, including any upgrade to the electricity supply. It owns the chargers, sets the price guests pay and keeps all the charging revenue. Because the chargers are open to the public, the hotel also becomes the charge point operator under the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, with the duties that come with it.
2. Buy the chargers and pay for a managed service
The hotel still buys the chargers and pays for installation, then pays a charging company a regular fee to handle payments, software, the driver helpline and, in some contracts, maintenance. The hotel keeps the revenue after fees. Check the contract to see whether the hotel or the company is named as the charge point operator.
3. Lease the chargers
The hotel pays a monthly fee instead of buying the chargers outright. Installation and maintenance are often included. Lease terms vary more than the other options, so check who is the operator, who sets the price and who keeps the revenue before signing.
4. Host chargers from a funded operator
A charging company pays for the chargers and installation, owns and runs them, and is the charge point operator. The hotel pays nothing. With EV Plus, we also reimburse the electricity the chargers use and pay the hotel a share of the charging revenue. In return, we set the price drivers pay, and the hotel's share is smaller than the full revenue it would keep if it owned the chargers.
Side by side
| Buy and run | Buy, managed | Lease | Funded operator | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost to the hotel | Chargers and installation | Chargers and installation | Little or none | None |
| Regular fees | Payment and software fees | Service fee | Lease fee | None |
| Who owns the chargers | Hotel | Hotel | Leasing company | Operator |
| Charge point operator | Hotel | Set by the contract | Set by the contract | Operator |
| Who sets the price | Hotel | Hotel, usually | Set by the contract | Operator |
| Charging revenue | All to the hotel | Hotel, after fees | Set by the contract | Shared with the hotel |
| Electricity | Hotel pays, recovered through the price | Hotel pays, recovered through the price | Usually the hotel | Hotel pays, EV Plus reimburses it |
| Repairs | Hotel arranges and pays | Depends on the service | Often included | Operator |
| Risk | All with the hotel: low use, repair costs, regulatory fines and chargers becoming outdated | With the hotel: it pays for the chargers and the service fee, whether or not guests use them | Lease fee is due whether or not the chargers are used | Low: the operator pays for, owns and maintains the chargers, so the hotel has no costs to recover. If use is low, its revenue share is smaller |
Contracts vary between providers. Where a cell says "set by the contract", read the terms before signing.
What being the charge point operator involves
Whoever is the operator of a public charger has to meet the 2023 regulations. That includes a free helpline staffed 24 hours a day with the number shown on the charger, prices shown in pence per kWh, live data on location, availability and price, and payment through at least one roaming provider. New public chargers of 8kW and above must also take contactless payment. The Office for Product Safety and Standards can fine the operator up to £10,000 per breach. Our guide to the regulations covers each requirement.
Which suits your hotel?
Buying, with or without a managed service, suits a hotel that has the capital, wants to set its own prices and keep the revenue, and is prepared to be the operator or to pay someone to take that on.
A funded operator suits a hotel that wants charging for guests without spending capital or running the chargers, and is happy to share the revenue in return. Most hotels start with two bays served by one dual 7kW charger, which adds about 30 miles of range an hour, so a car plugged in during the evening is full, or close to it, by breakfast.
Questions to ask any provider
- Who is the charge point operator under the 2023 regulations?
- Who pays for installation, and for any upgrade to our electricity supply?
- Who sets the price drivers pay, and can it change?
- Who pays for the electricity the chargers use, and how is it measured?
- What share of the revenue do we keep, and when is it paid?
- Who pays for repairs, and how quickly are faults fixed?
- How long is the agreement, and what happens to the chargers at the end of it?
Please note EV Plus is a funded operator, so this guide describes one of the options as our own. It describes how these arrangements usually work, and terms vary between providers. It is not financial or legal advice.
Want to see what the funded option would look like at your hotel? Tell us about your site and we'll arrange a free assessment.
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