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EV Charging Stations come to Caloundra RSL

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Caloundra RSL is future-proofing their service offering with the latest technology, from installing a new EV Charging station to integrating an AI Robot into their wait staff team. So, we sat down with their General Manager, Graeme Devin, to learn more.

What led you to install EV Charging Stations at Caloundra RSL?

With the growing popularity of Electric vehicles, there is an increasing need to install a charging station. It reassures patrons that they can come with friends and family for a meal and charge their car if needed.

We all know that finding a charging point for an electric car away from home can be challenging and may lead patrons away from venues without suitable charging stations.

RSL Clubs can embrace the move to Electric Vehicles and capture patrons actively searching for charging stations across Australia.

It’s given our club a point of difference locally.

What were your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?

We needed to learn more, so I spoke to a mate at the gym who is a rep for Schneider Electric Australia. He helped me understand the benefits and recommended a manufacturer. We used one of their approved Brisbane-based installers, EVIAM, for the project. They were fantastic.

The main issues we had to consider were safety, securing the correct tradespeople and where to install the charging station.

We had to consider the proximity of the charging station to our electricity switchboard and how we would manage the cabling requirements.

The whole process was easier than we initially thought. We could use cable trays along the ceiling of our undercover carpark, so digging was unnecessary, which helped manage the costs. We did not have to upgrade our power and switchboard to meet the increased loads.

We have installed the chargers in a way that enables us to add more in the future. The chargers cost less than $50,000 to install, and we are delighted with the outcome.

What risks did you have to consider, and how did your insurance broker help?

We contacted our insurance broker, Lisa Carter, to let her know our plans. It gave our broker time to advise on the business risks surrounding patron safety.

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We contacted our insurance broker, Lisa Carter, to let her know our plans. It gave our broker time to advise on the business risks surrounding patron safety.

We reviewed our Liability and Industrial Special Risks policies to ensure they continue to provide the cover we need to operate and protect our financial position should a claim arise.

What feedback have you had from customers following their installation?

Both customers and our Board are optimistic about the chargers and support the new technology.

We all accept that change is inevitable, and it’s a strength that we can all move together to embrace the future.

It’s great to hear that staff are now considering electric cars. We are exploring the options around salary sacrifice for electric vehicles with no fringe benefits tax for our team.

What’s your advice to other hospitality venues considering EV Charging Stations?

From our experience on this project, I recommend that you:

Do your homework.
Find out what your competitors are doing and where other charging stations are in your local area.
Make sure it’s feasible to install chargers at your venue.
Make sure you build in capacity to expand your offering in the future should you wish to add more charging stations.
Think about the safety and comfort of your patrons and the upgrades you will need to make to your power and parking facilities.
Only some tradespeople have the expertise and qualifications to undertake the work, so consider their experience.
Consider whether patrons pay to use the chargers or are free to use them at a cost to the venue.

If you are considering a project and want to know more about the insurance implications, contact Clear Insurance today for advice.

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General Advice Warning: This advice is general and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the advice is appropriate for you and your personal circumstances. Before you make any decision about whether to acquire a certain product, you should obtain and read the relevant product disclosure statement.

All information above has been provided by the author.

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This article originally appeared on Clear In The News and has been published here with permission.