A necessary evolution
In the age of electric vehicles and their democratization, it was essential to start offering such a filter option. Electric cars are becoming more and more popular, and are gradually replacing internal combustion engines.in 2035, combustion-powered vehicles will be banned from sale in Europeproof of a real evolution in technology.
Indeed, now that long-range electric vehicles are available, you need to know whether your future reservation will be equipped accordingly. Because not having a charging point at home when you're on vacation is a handicap. In 2018, 52% of French people were still afraid of the limited range of electric vehicles, despite the fact that many models now exceed 500 km on a single charge, and battery technologies are making rapid progress. Many had to spend even more time finding out about charging points near their hotels or vacation rentals to gain peace of mind.
Find out more : Restaurant with charging station: the right strategy
You've heard of apps to find public charging stationsIt's only natural that accommodation booking applications should also indicate whether or not this equipment is available in the accommodation.
We can even imagine that this type of equipment will become a real plus as electric vehicles become more widespread, and as places that lack them become less frequented, as is to be expected for other places such as restaurants, hotels, supermarkets... And this is a need that the government intends to meet, thanks in particular to the 100,000-terminal target.
Find out more: Hotels: are charging stations the new wifi?
After restaurants, hotels, Booking and Google Maps, it's now Airbnb's turn to offer to filter accommodations with a charging station.
Would you like to install a charging station?
Airbnb and Booking's "charging station" functionality still in need of improvement
Of course, knowing whether or not your reservation will be equipped with a charging station is already a big step forward for electric vehicle owners.
However, it would be even more practical (and logical) to know the type of socket and the charging power of said charging point, or whether it's a terminal or a simple reinforced socket, which affects charging time (power) or whether or not you can charge your car (cable type). To find out more about the power and types of charging points, read this article.
It's easy to imagine an additional filter appearing when you tick the "EV charger" option, allowing you to choose a wattage and cable type, to save time on searching so you don't need to ask the owners of the premises in question individually.
Owners' use of the "charging point" filter on Airbnb to be redefined
A home charging point is not to be confused with a public charging point, which will be open to all (and therefore not necessarily available all the time), which will not necessarily be attached to your reservation, and which will also generate additional costs.
However, landlords see this new equipment filter as a way of attracting more people to their rental, and don't really pay attention to these details. In this case, some units indicate a charging station as equipment, even though it's on the street, and charging may therefore be subject to a charge. It's like indicating that a property has a swimming pool, when the pool in question is a municipal pool - it's counterproductive.
A well-intentioned filter from Airbnb and Booking, but room for improvement
So we've taken a look at the problems still encountered by this filter: even if it makes it easier to find owners, there's still room for improvement, especially with the rise of electric vehicles. Sites will have to adapt to this change in their customers' lifestyles and offer tools in line with these changes.
Nevertheless, Airbnb's and Booking's intention to include clean mobility in their websites is commendable and necessary, as has already been done by Google and Apple in their Maps and Plans applications. Proof of real consumer demand and the democratization of the electric car!
