The EV Wave Is Already Here
There are now over 4 million electric vehicles on US roads — a number that has roughly doubled in the past two years. In 2024, nearly 1 in 10 new cars sold in America was fully electric, and that share is climbing every quarter as prices fall and model options expand.
Major automakers — Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes — have committed to electric-first lineups. Federal tax credits of up to $7,500 are pulling buyers off the fence. EV ownership is no longer a niche lifestyle; it's going mainstream fast.
By 2030, analysts project EVs will make up 30–40% of new vehicle sales in the US. The guests who already own EVs — and the millions more who will in the next few years — all have one thing in common: they think about charging before they book a place to stay.
The math for hosts
If 1 in 10 travelers already drives an EV and your property doesn't offer charging, you're invisible to that segment. As EV adoption grows to 1 in 4 or 1 in 3 travelers, that blind spot gets expensive fast.
EV Owners Filter by Charging — Just Like Parking
EV drivers plan trips around charging access. It's not optional — it's logistics. When searching on Airbnb, guests can filter listings by amenities, and "EV charger" is a searchable filter. If you don't have one, you don't show up when that filter is applied.
Think of it the way you thought about WiFi in 2012, or a dedicated workspace in 2020. Those weren't differentiators for long — they became baseline expectations. EV charging is on the same trajectory. Right now it's a filter; in a few years it will be an assumption.
It Sets You Apart — Right Now
Here's the opportunity: most short-term rental properties still don't have EV charging. That means adding one today puts you ahead of the majority of your competition in search results and guest decision-making.
Hosts who move early get the reviews. Guests leave comments mentioning the charger — "perfect for our Tesla," "loved waking up to a full charge" — and those reviews attract the next EV-owning guest. It compounds over time.
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Appear in EV charger search filters
Guests actively filtering for charging will find you — and skip properties that don't have it.
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Stand out in listing photos and amenities
A wall-mounted Level 2 charger photographs well and signals a well-equipped, thoughtful property.
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Attract higher-value guests
EV owners skew toward higher incomes and are often frequent travelers who leave detailed reviews.
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Justify a higher nightly rate
Unique amenities support premium pricing. EV charging is a concrete, valued upgrade guests will pay for.
Not Having One Is Starting to Cost Bookings
The flip side is the part most hosts haven't thought through yet. Right now, not having an EV charger means you miss a segment. But as EV ownership grows from 10% to 25% to 40% of travelers, "no EV charger" stops being a neutral fact and starts being a disqualifier.
An EV owner on a road trip isn't going to book a property where they have to hunt for a public charger every morning. They'll pay more — or drive past your property entirely — to stay somewhere with a charger in the driveway.
Worth thinking about
Hosts who waited on WiFi, streaming, or smart locks all said the same thing afterward: "I wish I'd done it sooner." EV charging is the amenity that's obvious in hindsight. The best time to add it is before your competitors do.
The ROI Makes Sense
A Level 2 EV charger installed at a rental property typically costs $500–$1,500 all-in (hardware + installation). For most hosts, that's less than two or three nights of revenue.
| Scenario | Impact |
|---|---|
| 1 extra booking per month from EV guests | Pays back the install cost in 1–3 months |
| $10–$20/night rate increase | Fully recovered within a single season |
| Avoiding 1 lost booking per month | Prevents revenue leakage that grows each year |
| Long-term property value | EV-ready properties are increasingly desirable to buyers |
You can also charge guests a small per-stay fee for charging use — $5–$15 is common and entirely reasonable — which turns the charger into a small recurring revenue stream on top of everything else.
What to Install
For a rental property, a Level 2 charger (240V) is the only option worth considering. Level 1 (standard wall outlet) adds just 3–5 miles per hour — nowhere near enough for a guest arriving with a half-empty battery after a long drive.
A 40–50 amp Level 2 charger adds 20–30 miles of range per hour, meaning most guests will have a full battery by morning regardless of what time they arrived. That's the experience that earns the five-star review mention.
For STR properties, look for a charger that works with all EV brands (not just Tesla), is rated for outdoor use, and ideally has app-based monitoring so you can track usage remotely. Browse our charger comparison to find the right model →
Getting It Done
Installation is straightforward for a licensed electrician experienced with EV chargers. Most jobs take 2–4 hours. The electrician will run a dedicated 240V circuit from your panel to wherever the charger will be mounted — typically a garage wall or exterior wall near the driveway.
The best first step is to get a quote so you know exactly what it will cost for your specific property. Read our installation cost guide →