LAS VEGAS—Mike Battaglia, SVP of sales and business development of Blink Charging, led a microlearning session at ICSC's national Las Vegas conference about EV charging, but tells GlobeSt.com exclusively that shopping centers and other retail real estate can play a central role in the expansion of accessible and reliable public EV charging.
We caught up with Battaglia prior to the session, where he noted that "With millions of EVs slated to come online in the years ahead, the demand for EV charging will increase sharply. The most efficient time for EVs to charge is when they are sitting idle for extended periods of time, such as overnight or in public venues like shopping centers, malls and more."
That is exactly where shopping centers and retail real estate comes into play, he explains. "With Americans only driving around 40 miles a day on average, the majority of charging will be done when cars are parked, making EV charging stations at commercial retail locations an important component of any EV charging deployment strategy."
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When we asked about what opportunity owners have to stay ahead of the curve and how they can set themselves up for success with EV adoption, he says that today, EV charging is increasingly becoming a necessity as more cities and states phase out gas-powered cars. "By taking steps now to prepare for this transition, real estate owners will position themselves for success as widespread adoption of EVs continues to grow, rather than finding themselves needing to play catch-up," he says.
And by adding EV charging stations at their properties, retail real estate owners will be presented with opportunities to increase traffic and store profitability, he says. "EV charging infrastructure across real estate properties is a revenue generating amenity in and of itself. Installing EV chargers in a property automatically creates a new stream of income as developers receive a portion of revenue from ongoing use of the chargers."
But is it an incentive for shoppers? Not surprisingly, Battaglia says yes. "As EV ownership increases, consumers will be on the lookout for retail facilities that have EV charging infrastructure, where they can seamlessly charge their vehicles while enjoying nearby amenities, like shopping at local businesses and or eating at restaurants," he explains. "Hosting EV chargers make a property stand out from the competition, especially in urban and high-density communities."
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
