2024-04-07 14:57:33
| Tobias Seifried
|
07.04.2024
Verkehrsbuero Hospitality and Verbund AG have sealed a location partnership for e-mobility solutions for tourism businesses. LEADERSNET.tv was present at the opening of the first location with a view over Vienna and asked those responsible how the business model works and how the initiative should advance the energy transition.
Last year, more purely electric cars than diesel vehicles were sold in Austria for the first time. Recently, however, the advance of e-mobility has suffered a slight setback. However, according to most industry experts, this will be a short-term phenomenon. In addition to the comparatively high purchase prices, the fact that the charging infrastructure is not yet widely available also plays a role in the decision not to buy an electric vehicle for many interested parties. But this is exactly where a new partnership wants to take countermeasures.
Partnership between two giants in their industry
Verkehrsbuero Hospitality and Verbund AG have launched an initiative to promote electromobility in the Austrian tourism sector. Specifically, the leading domestic hotel group and the energy supplier, which is one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in Europe, have sealed a location partnership for e-mobility charging infrastructure for tourism companies. The ceremonial opening of the first location took place on April 3rd – in the parking lot of the Austria Trend Hotel Schloss Wilhelminenberg.
The newly built charging infrastructure with a view over Vienna is impressive. It includes a total of ten AC charging points (11 kW), which have recently been in operation. On the LEADERSNET.tv-Question of how the new charging points are received by guests says Kathrin Gerstl, Hotel Director Austria Trend Hotel Wilhelminenberg: “Very good. The charging infrastructure is brand new and has been in operation for around three weeks. We have a lot of hotel guests from the business area where demand is particularly high. And since we also proactively address the neighborhood, many Viennese are here at Wilhelminenberg to go for a walk or to visit us on the terrace and charge their electric car in the meantime.
Eleven more hotel locations in 2024
After the successful commissioning of the first location on Wilhelminenberg, the partners plan to equip a further eleven hotel locations with a total of 66 charging points throughout Austria in their parking lots and garages by the end of 2024. The charging points are installed by the Verbund subsidiary Smatrics.
“We are pleased that with Verkehrsbuero Hospitality and its Austria Trend and Bassena Hotels we have a strong partner on board for the expansion of e-charging infrastructure in domestic tourism. Together we share the vision of a comprehensive charging infrastructure and are thus paving the way for electromobility in tourism. With such location partnerships and our Coop Charging product, we are taking another important step to further advance the mobility transition and thus the energy transition,” emphasizes Martin Wagner, Managing Director of Verbund Energy4Business GmbH.
Here’s how it works
The business model stipulates that hotel operators provide the necessary space, while the association takes over the construction and operation of the charging infrastructure. Hotel guests charge with their charging cards at Smatrics tariffs or the tariffs of their charging card issuers. Billing is therefore carried out directly via the users’ charging cards, although ad-hoc payment by credit card is also possible, according to the cooperation partners. Since all charging stations are also available for public charging, hotel operators would benefit from a share in charging sales in addition to the service for their visitors.
“With the opening of what is probably Vienna’s most beautiful public e-charging station at the Austria Trend Hotel Schloss Wilhelminenberg, we are giving the starting signal for our new location partnership with Verbund in order to offer e-charging infrastructure at a total of eleven Verkehrsbuero Hospitality locations throughout Austria in the future “We are the first hotel group in Austria to take a groundbreaking step towards future-oriented mobility solutions in domestic tourism and strengthen the industry in its commitment to resource-efficient and sustainable travel,” explains Martin Winkler, Chairman of the Transport Office.
Michael Kröger, Managing Director of Verkehrsbuero Hospitality, adds: “With the expansion of the e-charging infrastructure, we are offering our guests sustainable mobility solutions and maximum comfort during their stay as well as on arrival and departure. I am particularly pleased that all charging stations are also available for public charging and will therefore also be available to the neighborhood of our hotels.”
LEADERSNET.tv Interviews
You can see what Martin Wagner, Kathrin Gerstl, Michael Kröger and Martin Winkler said during the opening LEADERSNET.tv Interview.
Impressions from the event can be found in our gallery.
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#paving #electromobility #tourism #Leadersnet
