Not only are more and more people driving electric, the number of people taking their electric car on holiday is also steadily increasing. Research in 2023 has shown that around one in three people with an electric car takes their EV on holiday and chooses holiday destinations throughout Europe. This means that there is work to be done for campsite owners and holiday home rental companies. Installing a charging station is not only practical, it also ensures greater safety.
To the campsite with an electric car: a development that continues
If you have an electric car and you keep an eye on the developments, you will have noticed that major brands have been focusing on improving the possibilities for a long time. For example, there are streamlined caravans, folding trailers and roof tents available for various electric cars and there are numerous route planners with which you can easily travel throughout Europe with your electric car and in which you can easily find all charging points.
At the same time, the travel industry is always looking for ways to become more sustainable. Holidays in nature fit seamlessly with electric driving and taking care of the planet is important for every holidaymaker who wants to be able to enjoy a holiday in a few years.
So this is not a trend, but a transition in which the electric car will soon be seen at every campsite, bungalow park and chalet in France and every stuga in Sweden.
Charging your car at the campsite is ideal for holidaymakers
Holidaymakers like to charge their electric car at the accommodation itself, for example at the campsite or at the holiday home. There are a number of reasons for this. The first reason is that they can never fully charge the battery with fast chargers. The charging curve decreases sharply after 80% charge, which means that it is antisocial and undesirable to charge further than 80% at a fast charger. The electric car will therefore never get its full range back here. This is possible when charging via a charging station at the campsite.
In addition, it is considerably easier, more pleasant and safer to have the car nearby while charging. The holidaymaker does not have to go to a nearby village to connect the car to the charger and then keep an eye on the app when it needs to be disconnected from the charger. Do not forget that many public charging stations have a maximum parking time or work with fines if the car is left on the charger for too long, which is a concrete synonym for stress during the holiday.
If the holidaymaker can simply sit on his camping chair while the car is charging nearby, this is a great advantage.
Problems with charging the electric car at the campsite
This is also where the biggest problem lies at the moment. Holidaymakers want to charge at their accommodation and know what the big advantages are. However, if there is no charging station or a special socket for the charger, these people often choose to charge secretly. For this purpose, mobile chargers are used that are plugged into a normal socket at the campsite with an extension cord in between.
This causes problems in almost all cases. Because the list of possible problems is far too long to explain here, we have made a short overview of the biggest dangers and disadvantages of secretly charging at the campsite.
- When an old or damaged socket is used, this can cause a fire. In that case, it usually starts in a place where it is noticed very late.
- Secret charging always causes problems for the power network that is not designed for this. This can cause it to suddenly become dark at the campsite because the fuses have blown.
- Secret charging almost always results in cables that can cause dangerous situations.
- If the secret charging is successful and does not cause any problems, the campsite owner will be faced with a much higher electricity bill that can often no longer be passed on to the guest.
How do you, as a campsite owner, manage this properly?
The best way to manage charging at the campsite is to offer charging points. These do not necessarily have to be dozens of charging stations. You have many more options. For example, you can think of two or three charging stations at the reception (with or without a fee). Then you can offer special sockets at certain points on the campsite (or parking lot, depending on how your campsite is set up).
How you do this last one is of course entirely up to you. There are Schuko sockets that you can use, or the standard blue camping plugs (CEE plugs). What is important is that the socket is new and undamaged and has been installed correctly. That way you can limit all risks. It is also good to place these sockets on separate groups (as far as this is possible).
If holidaymakers have fixed assigned places to charge their electric cars, you prevent a considerable number of sneaky chargers. If you also have places where charging is possible, you can of course also impose consequences on people who sneakily charge.
Some tips for campsite owners
- Place the available charging points on the map so that all guests can find them more easily.
- Please request guests to remove the car immediately once it is loaded so that the next persons can load.
- Place a clipboard at the charging station or charging point, where guests can write down when the car needs to be fully charged. An order (booking) can also be made here for charging.
- Make sure there is a central point where people can go with questions, complaints or comments about charging.
- Clearly state in your brochure and on your website that you offer charging options for holidaymakers with an electric car.
- Also consider charging electric bicycles. However, this requires much less power, so it is considerably easier.
Accu-Machine.nl has exactly what you need to attract more guests
If you are looking for the right charging stations , charging cables or perhaps even mobile chargers (although most holidaymakers have these in their cars), you can always contact us. We are the market leader in the field of charging electric cars, machines and devices and deliver our products throughout Europe to private and business customers.
All our products are provided with a CE mark and have been extensively tested. The long lifespan of our charging stations is of course also evident when the charging stations are used intensively, which will certainly be the case when they are placed on your campsite.
Order all your charging accessories today to make your campsite even more attractive
Do you want to attract more guests, charge your own electric car(s) at the campsite or secretly make charging redundant with professional, neat charging points on your site? Then you will find everything you need to get started right away. If you order before 5:00 PM, we will ensure that the products are shipped the same day and you can soon benefit from your investment.
Can't find what you're looking for or would you like us to help you look at the options for your budget and situation? Then please contact us so we can personally assist you and make it even easier for you to find the right charging stations and charging cables for your campsite or bungalow park.
