Can I plug in my electric car?

[Laura2592]

I have an upcoming guest who just asked this and estimates it will cost "10-20 dollars" for the car to charge during their stay with an offer to reimburse. This is my first such request. We do have an outdoor outlet but its nowhere near where the car would park.

Have you had this? Do you allow it? Do you ask for reimbursement or eat the cost? Is that really what it costs?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Helen31 If it is a 60kW battery charged from flat that means 60kWhrs of electricity which at the current cap of 30p/kWhr means it would cost £18 per charge.

[Gillian166]

you can get outdoor weatherproof extension leads. 

[Mark116]

@Helen31  Can't you just tell them that there is no EV charging station at the house and so they will have to charge the cars somewhere else?  I mean, people don't rent houses and expect there to be a gasoline pump in the yard included with the rental.

[Gillian166]

@Mark116  depends on how they see their car. if they see it as another appliance like their phone or laptop, then yeah, they will think it's fine to charge it at the house. 

Good to start thinking about this now. We have solar installed so i'd be fine with guests charging during the day, but that's not likely, is it? 

[Helen31]

thank you everyone for all your advice and suggestions. I have messaged our electrician to see if he thinks it's safe to start with, or if it will trip our electrics. That might negate the need to even ask for  them to pay for it, as they may not be able to charge them anyway period.

[Helen744]

@Helen31, just ask them to please use the charging stations in town as you are concerned about your electrics . H. The nearest is never far away. 

[Helen744]

If as somone said all night charging on ordinairy house electricity only reaps 24 miles then Ossies who often travel 150 kms a day would have no hope.  We generally and regularly travel long distances in this country . That may account for the slow take up of electric cars although hybrids were becoming semi popular. Ask how often they travel and how often they need charging and what they generally do . They cannot simply assume to use your electric outlets at such a huge rate

H

[Helen744]

Seriously we have lawn mowers that go further H

[Carol6704]

I am thinking of installing a car charger for the use of guests with electric cars and can't decide on the advantages/disadvantages of tethered/untethered. Any experience in this? 

[Robin129]

I don't have current experience, but I am also looking into this. My research has me considering a portable EV charger. Those I have seen on Amazon have adapters that can allow use with standard household outlets. That would allow me to offer the service, without the formal installation. The challenge becomes access to an outlet. My laundry dryer outlet would be great, but not accessible from outside. If I have enough demand I would then have a permanent one installed. 

[Tania646]

Check this out.  Most people go for tethered.

https://www.drivingelectric.com/your-questions-answered/915/tethered-or-untethered-home-charger

[Katherine765]

So even if its only 3 dollars a day and the guest is staying 3 nights we just shrug off 9 dollars?  3x30 is 90. EV's are here to stay.  5 years from now its 15 days a month charging at 4 or 5 dollars a day, 7 years from now, its 25 days a month at 6 a day.   We need to think ahead hosts!  ABnB corporate needs to put their big minds together and build into their web site an plan to charge a fair price for a service provided.  If it an amenity that you provide then you have agreed to absorb the cost.  I on the other hand I charge the least in my region for a nightly stay so that this is something I have to consider.   Why do EV owners think that plugging into your house power is a nothing?  Why do we allow that?  Think of it this way:  an average Tesla requires 1440 watts of power per hour to charge on a 110v, 15 amp circuit.  Your average space heater uses that same amount of power (1500 watts).  Ok,  put a 110 volt, 1500 watt heater on the end of an extension cord outside your ABnB and tell your guest to just turn it on all night and let it blow hot air outside for no charge.

Are you starting to see the absurdity of that?

Am I crazy?

or are we just not thinking ahead?

[Stephanie365]

If you're going to allow them to charge, you need to make sure the outlet doesn't share a circuit with other outlets or you will blow the breaker. In other words, your outlet needs to be on a dedicated circuit ONLY for this plug with its own breaker. Unless you are absolutely certain this is the case (and it almost never is unless the plug was purpose built), I would not recommend allowing guests to charge.

It is better to research where the nearest charging station is and provide the address(es) for them.

[Katja202]

Hmm is it just me or ..... I do not pay for the train ticket if the guest is coming by train and I do not have a jerry can of petrol to refill the car when the guest arrives. So why should I have an EV for electric cars? The fact that people can recharge at home makes the guest want to do the same when they stay at your home but they do not think about the costs that come with that. With the current electricity prices, it is now €13,- euros per refill. That is 1/5 of my night rate 😞  I'm so sorry but if the guest wants to recharge their car... I give them the address of the nearest place they can do that. 

And I find it absurd that Airbnb has to be preparing for this. It is none of their business. They also do not pay for the train ticket or the petrol in cars. So why should they do something about electric cars? If a guest drives an electric car it is their responsibility, not mine and I would like it if they do not make it mine. 

[Inna22]

@Katja202 @Katja202 if you are providing a hyper basic very inexpensive accommodation for one guest, this is something you should think about. For those of us hosting bigger groups at higher rate, I can not start counting everything my guests do. 6 people are staying and each likes a very long shower. Do I run a water meter? Someone likes it to by 69 degrees during a hot summer. Do I block the thermostat at 74? A family with a baby runs the laundry one item at a time (I literally had that happen). Do I limit the number of washes? But also some groups never cooks, never use the laundry and take quick showers. Do I give them a refund? It averages out at the end. It will be a very long time before this will become a regular request so you have plenty of time to adjust your rates.