Airbnb is encouraging its hosts to go electric by offering discounts on electric vehicle chargers and installation fees.
Electrek reported that the U.S.-based homestay company has partnered with ChargePoint to offer up to 36% off EV chargers. This comes after an 80% surge in searches using Airbnb's EV filter from 2022 to 2023. Hosts will also have access to a $100 installation discount if they purchase their new charger from the ChargePoint website.
Plus, Airbnb will be handing out another $200 to the first 1,000 hosts who purchase a charger from ChargePoint.
"Ensuring all drivers are able to charge when and where they need to remains our top priority," Rick Wilmer, CEO at ChargePoint said, per Electrek. "Together with Airbnb, we are removing barriers to broader adoption of residential charging solutions for Airbnb hosts and enabling a frictionless charging experience for their guests."
This is good business for Airbnb, as the company has found that listings with EV chargers bag longer stays and generate more income on average. This is in line with national trends — EV sales increased by 60% from 2022 to 2023, according to Electrek.
Having more EVs on the roads is a win for public health. The pollution that spews from the tailpipes of gasoline-powered vehicles causes thousands of premature deaths in the U.S. each year and costs the country billions in healthcare costs, according to Earthjustice.
Plus, the transportation sector is by far the biggest contributor to planet-heating pollution in the United States, accounting for 33% of the share. Meanwhile, EVs produce no tailpipe pollution and have a much smaller carbon footprint from "cradle to grave."
Scientists agree that an overheating planet carries grave consequences, such as more severe heat waves that endanger lives and threaten crops and more catastrophic storms that can destroy properties and threaten communities. That's why it's important to move away from transportation options that depend on dirty fuels.
Airbnb joins a list of big businesses that are integrating more planet-friendly business policies. For instance, Crocs has a donation and recycling program that helps to keep used shoes out of landfills. Plus, Walmart is replacing plastic mailing envelopes with recyclable paper. Supporting eco-friendly initiatives like these is a way to help reinforce the fact that people care and to incentivize companies to continue to make more sustainable choices or policies.
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Consumers seem "charged up" about Airbnb's latest eco-initiative, with one person on the Electrek forum saying: "This is great! It is encouraging to see the side benefits of electrification as well as seeing the boost in traffic towards those who are doing the right thing. I would definitely consider an Airbnb with charging over any other random house."
Another added: "It is unfathomable to me that service providers have not woken up to the extra money they leave on the table by not setting themselves apart from the other by offering charging."
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