Link to original article: https://au.news.yahoo.com/ev-owners-17-accommodation-request-exposes-common-dilemma-big-rabbit-hole-031338661.html
A simple question from a bed and breakfast (B&B) guest hoping to charge their electric vehicle (EV) overnight has thrown the host down a "rabbit hole", and ignited an online discussion as Aussies continue to debate the etiquette surrounding EVs.
Mandy Coxon has run Mossman Gorge Bed and Breakfast near Port Douglas, Queensland for 27 years but only this week was asked for the first time if a guest could charge their EV during their prospective stay, never before considering this as a service to provide her guests.
"All of a sudden it landed in my lap and I thought, 'ok, what do I do now?'," she told Yahoo News. "I hadn't thought about it before... it was a very, very big rabbit hole that I went down."
Among the insurance implications, and the installation of the charger itself (costing upwards of $750), there was one question on Mandy's mind — should guests pay to recharge their EVs?
The cost of recharging an EV can vary depending on the brand of car and the type of charger, as well as the duration of charging time. After some research, Mandy decided it would likely cost her up to $17 for a guest to recharge at her property.
"I found out that it can average, depending on the vehicle as to whether it's just a top-up — five bucks, or a full charge, anything up to $17," she said.
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Unsure whether to charge a fee for the use of an EV charger, she considered guests may expect it as a complimentary service, much like a free breakfast in the morning. However, she was concerned that $17 is a significant amount to absorb as a small business owner.
"I feel that if I go to the service station and I buy petrol, I don't get it for free," she said. "If I go to an accommodation house, and I don't have any fuel, I don't ask the host, 'Can you fill my car up for free?'."
Mandy decided to pose the question to social media, sparking a debate between Aussies.
One man said it would be a "great marketing tool" to provide the charger as a complimentary service, helping the B&B to differentiate itself from alternative accommodation nearby. Meanwhile, another suggested Mandy could charge a "$10 levy" on top of the room rate to meet the guest somewhere in the middle.
However, many were strongly against the idea of an accommodation provider offering charging facilities for free. "A petrol station charges for petrol so you need to charge the EV owner to charge their car," one said, while another simply said, "Absolutely not".
The decision to provide the EV charger for free or at a cost has broader implications than just how it impacts the host and guest, Swinburne University of Technology Professor Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian told Yahoo News.
He said it could affect the "electrical ecosystem" as a whole, with fear that free chargers expanding to accommodation providers would minimise awareness of the pressure it can put on the electrical grid — something we all need to be aware of as EVs boom onto Aussie roads.
"If we continue using electric chargers for free, like what we're seeing in shopping centres, and expand this for houses, we're creating a problem for our electrical infrastructure," the EV enthusiast said. He explained that in the move towards more sustainable transport, drivers should have an idea of all the moving components of the industry, not just the car in front of them.
"It is a subjective matter... the host could offer it as a bonus... In my opinion, it would be the same as if someone has a petrol station in their house and if another actually wants to use the fuel, they have to pay for it," he said.
One Aussie couple have come up with a solution to ensure EV charging costs are delegated to those who use the service, aimed at accommodation providers and apartment blocks where there is shared power.
Alchemy Charge smart points can be installed alongside EV chargers, and users scan a QR code that links them to the electricity used, ensuring they alone are paying for it. Already, the company, founded by Yasemin and Merich Selvi, has found success with AirBnB and other short-term accommodation properties.
"It’s the power loss conversation, so the loss of revenue because of [other people's] power usage," Yasemin previously told Yahoo. "Because the consumption obviously goes up with electric vehicles".