Dive Brief:
- Hilton will install up to 20,000 Tesla Universal Wall Connectors, an electric vehicle charging port for Tesla and non-Tesla EVs, at 2,000 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico starting in 2024, Hilton announced today.
- At least six chargers will be installed at each selected Hilton hotel, to be mutually agreed upon by Hilton and Tesla, a Hilton spokesperson told Hotel Dive. While specific U.S. markets remain undetermined, Hilton said that hotels “alongside roadways and in key urban destinations” are uniquely suited to provide EV charging to travelers.
- The partnership accelerates Hilton’s strategy to meet a growing demand by guests for overnight EV charging during their hotel stays. Hilton claims the planned installation will make its EV charging network the largest of any hospitality company.
Dive Insight:
Hilton’s partnership with Tesla was bolstered by increased guest demand for EV charging stations and more eco-friendly travel solutions, the company said, noting an increase in searches for EV charging stations on its website.
The EV charging search filter has had the fastest volume growth among all search filters on the hotel’s website this year, jumping from the fourth to the second highest converting filter, the company said.
“At Hilton, we are committed to meeting the changing needs of our guests who are looking for hotel experiences that complement their daily routines while offering exceptional hospitality,” Matt Schuyler, chief brand officer at Hilton, said in a statement, adding that the installation will “significantly [change] the landscape of universal EV chargers in North America” and offer Hilton properties more value.
The planned deployment will make Hilton’s EV charging network larger than any other hospitality company’s, the hotel claims. There are already an average of three charging stations at each of the more than 1,850 Hilton hotels worldwide, a company spokesperson said.
By year-end 2022, Marriott had 5,500 EV chargers at properties worldwide. And through a partnership with EV charging provider LNG Electric, the hotel company is bringing more chargers to its U.S. hotels this year.
Choice Hotels is similarly expanding its U.S. charging network through a partnership with EOS Linx. The company has some 6,000 stations already operating at properties in Canada.
