The hospitality industry, keen to support the clean air movement and reduce carbon footprints, are keen to encourage the use of electric vehicles (EVs) among travellers who often take to the road to reach popular destinations. However, range anxiety or the fear of running out of power on a journey and not being able to find a charging point, is a deterrent for most people who would otherwise prefer to drive an EV. Hence many hotels in India are entering into collaborations with EV charging companies to set up charging points at the hotel's premises.It is also believed that destination charging will be a big driver of the country's adoption of high-end electric automobiles.
Radisson Hotel Group has entered into a collaboration with EV charging company SunFuel to install charging stations across all its hotels in India.
Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport. On behalf of their respective organisations, the MoU was signed by Radisson Hotel Group Managing Director and Vice President (Operations) &ndash South Asia, Zubin Saxena, and Sunfuel Electric Co-Founder and Head &ndash Partnership and Community, Gul Panag.
Saxena said that they are advancing their vision of a sustainable tomorrow and reaffirming their commitment to shaping the future of responsible travel through this collaboration. The founder & CEO of SunFuel Electric, Sudhir Nayak said that the adoption of high-end EVs in India would be aided by destination charging. SunFuel is working with hotels in all of India's top tourist sites to provide seamless EV charging.
The initiative aims to reduce range anxiety among tourists, particularly those visiting popular tourist areas.
Panag said electric mobility shouldn&rsquot be confined to city limits. Electric cars can be used to go on weekend trips to mountains without any range anxiety. She added, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
Meanwhile, Radisson Hotel Group has launched the "India Road Trip," which invites Radisson hotel guests to take fascinating road trips around India while staying in staying in safe and pleasant accommodations offered by the group.
As a part of the green living endeavour, back in 2019, Radisson Blu Resort and Spa located in Karjat had installed Solar Panels as a first initiative to save the environment. According to the hospitality brand, with the SunFuel cooperation on EV charging infrastructure, Radisson Hotel Group will consider working with SunFuel's EV Trails in the future, giving electric vehicle customers the same customised road trip itineraries when staying at Radisson hotel facilities.
Other hospitality brands in India have also started introducing EV charging facilites in collaboration with relevant companies -- Fern Hotels & Resorts have partnered with Magenta, amã Stays & Trails&ndash a unit of Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has pitched in with Tata Power and Marriott is coordinating with CESL to construct and operate EV charging infrastructures in the country.