Remember when Tesla signed that deal with Hilton to install 20,000 EV chargers at the company’s hotels in the United States? No? Okay, well, it happened. And now, the company plans to do the exact same thing with another major hotel chain.
In a press release, Choice Hotels announced that it has signed a deal with Tesla to bring the company’s EV chargers to its 7,500 locations in the United States. According to the blog post, the company has agreed to offer the installation of the Tesla Universal Wall Connectors to “participating Radisson, Cambria, Comfort, Country Inn & Suites, Quality Inn and other Choice-branded hotels across the U.S.”
Through this agreement, Choice-branded properties can add four or more charging stations for guests, helping to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging and eliminate one of the biggest pain points for EV drivers traveling for business or leisure. To find a hotel with a charging station, travelers can use the EV charging filter on ChoiceHotels.com and the Choice Hotels mobile app.
In a statement, Dominic Dragisich, Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Global Brand Officer for Choice Hotels International, said that the company hopes that the deal will create a new revenue channel for hotel owners and operators.
“This agreement with Tesla allows our brands to further stand out by increasing access to EV charging for guests and potentially drive incremental topline revenue for hotel owners. At Choice, we are focused on ensuring owners and operators of our hotel brands are set up to benefit from strategic agreements that drive booking consideration and value.”
The company says that EV charging is already growing at its locations, pointing out that “currently, 41% of Choice’s Cambria hotels offer EV charging, and by the end of 2024, all are expected to be outfitted with at least one charging station.”
The announcement comes around five months after Tesla made a similar deal with Hilton. Under that deal, the Hilton said that it plans to install up to 20,000 Tesla chargers at 2,000 of its hotels. The hotel chain said that installations will begin in early 2024 as part of an “expanded partnership” with Tesla and cover locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to the release, at least six charging connectors will be featured at each hotel.
Hilton and Choice will use Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector, which features the company’s NACS connector as well as an integrated CCS adapter for other vehicles from other brands. The Universal Wall Connector adds about 44 miles of range per hour, so just remember that this one is meant to charge your EV overnight as opposed to topping it off in 20 minutes like you can do at a Supercharger.
Speaking of Superchargers, Ford has recently confirmed that its EVs, like the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, will be getting a free Tesla NACS adapter. Ford CEO Jim Farley announced: “I’m pleased to confirm that eligible Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners in the U.S. and Canada can reserve a complimentary adapter starting soon.”
Unlike Hilton, which is installing the chargers at its locations itself, Choice Hotels is leaving the decision up to the hotel owners and operators that franchise through its brand. We’ll have to see who builds things out faster, but my money’s on Hilton. Regardless, it seems that we’re not far away from having a lot more hotels with EV chargers in the parking lot, and that’s a great thing.
