EV Charging: Why Isn’t There An Airbnb
What if EV charging station at private homes can be rented out, just like free rooms
When it comes to electric vehicles, one of the main concerns people have is range. How will I make it from point A to point B without stopping and recharging?
The market share of electric vehicles is increasing every year. However, it’s still not enough to transition into electric driving for our entire society. We have several problems to solve before EVs dominate the road. We need a better charging infrastructure to make the switch to electric vehicles.
- Power generation: We need to find a way to generate more power without emitting greenhouse gases. We can’t rely on coal and gas-fired power plants to charge our electric vehicles.
- Power storage: We need to find a way to store the energy we generate from renewables to use it when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
- Batteries: We need to find a way to store more energy in smaller batteries if we’re going to make electric cars practical for everyday use.
- Charging: We need to find a way to charge electric vehicles quicker if we’re going to make them competitive with gasoline. We need this to move from 25–45 mins range to duration similar to gasoline refueling.
- Charging infrastructure: There are not enough public charging stations, and they are often in inconvenient locations. We need to build more charging stations if we want people to switch to electric vehicles. This will require a significant investment in both money and time.
- Component shortage: The production of electric vehicle batteries is still lagging far behind the demand.
- Range anxiety: This is a critical concern that people have regarding electric vehicles. They are worried that they won’t be able to make it from point A to point B without stopping and recharging. There is a difference between ‘wanting’ to take a 45 min break at a gas station vs. ‘needing’ it.
I have avoided buying/leasing a car for almost six years but now seem to need it. I’m considering buying/leasing a new car. Given my motivation to do my bit for the environment, I want to opt for an electric vehicle.
There is a lot of debate about how ‘Green’ is an EV, but that’s for another day. There are some excellent cars, but the range anxiety is real. Especially when you plan to drive 1000kms over a long weekend. I cannot afford the expensive ones with a 600km+ range, so have to opt for something more practical.
Now I wonder, will EVs give me the range I need? I fear waiting for 45 mins at a dark recharging station on a Saturday night in a foreign country.
Potential solution?
I bike past the neighborhoods in Copenhagen and the outskirts, and I see a lot of houses with EV charging stations.
It makes me wonder — why isn’t there an Airbnb or sorts for EV charging? Thousands have people have EV charging stations at their homes. Can they rent it? They cannot possibly use it 100% of the time. People already rent their free rooms for profit via Airbnb and other platforms. Why not their EV charging station?
Any questions about ‘can I trust a stranger with my property’ have been answered. Airbnb already has a verification and insurance process in place. It works — on a global scale.
In conclusion, I think it’s vital for us to do our part in this ‘War on emissions.’ One potential solution could be renting out our EV charging station at home when not using it. We might get a chance to earn a small piece of the pie from the emerging green economy while helping the environment.
If you have a home with an EV charging station, would you consider renting it out!
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
If you liked this, you might like my other posts about climate change.
Note: There seem to be some startups that have picked the idea. But there doesn’t seem be any scale yet.
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