Thanks to Volta Industries, the eco-friendly image of Hawaii might just have been boosted up. By the end of the year, Volta plans to install twenty additional stations for charging electric vehicles on the island, bringing the total number up to the looming 292. What is more, the new stations will be completely free, cheers going to local business sponsors.
The new business model that Volta Industries is trying out, targets high traffic locations, such as shopping malls. In this case all parties have high interest, considering that while customers are charging their vehicle, they can go for a stroll inside the shopping center.
On the island of Oahu, this practice is already in place. Nine free charging stations have been installed, besides to the 40 paid ones. Volta Industries has set their target for year 2013 to bring the total number up to 500 stations, locally and nationally.
Undoubtedly, this is a brilliant way to not only stimulate more people to go green, but also to give a helping hand to local businesses to increase sales. With raising numbers of electric vehicles filling the roads, it is hard to predict whether this plan would be profitable on a long run, but for now it surely stimulates people to go “green” while boosting local sales.
Via: ImportantMedia
Could this be an interesting financial example of the Jevons paradox? What I save by getting a free charge at the mall, I waste by doing some ‘retail therapy’.