EV charging station: the amenity that attracts travellers in 2026
Summer 2026 brings a new generation of electric road-trippers to the Alps and Lyon, all looking for a property where they can charge overnight. Installing a charging point in your rental is no longer a gimmick: it's a search filter, a booking argument and a source of extra income. Here's how to turn it into a profitable lever.
Why charging is becoming a booking criterion
The electric vehicle fleet has crossed a threshold: in 2026, a significant share of independent travellers tour the Alpine and Lyon roads in a rechargeable car. For them, the reflex is now the same as for wifi: they filter listings on the 'EV charger' amenity before they even look at the decor. A guest arriving in Annecy, Val d'Isère or Vieux-Lyon after a four-hour drive wants to plug in for the evening and leave with a full battery, without hunting for a public charger that's often saturated in peak season. Offering charging at home means capturing an affluent, careful and loyal clientele who book earlier and stay longer. Conversely, not offering it makes you invisible to a segment that grows every month.
Which solution to install, and at what cost
You have three options, depending on your budget and electrical setup. A reinforced socket (such as Green'Up) costs a few hundred euros, charges slowly but is enough for a full night: the ideal entry point for an apartment with private parking. A dedicated wall box (a 7 to 22 kW wallbox) is a €1,200 to €2,500 investment installed, charges in a few hours and inspires confidence in the listing. In the mountains, check your meter's available power and anticipate load-shedding during heavy winter demand. Consider eligibility for incentives too: the charging-point tax credit and certain local grants noticeably cut the bill. Always use a certified EV-charging electrician: it's a non-negotiable insurance and safety requirement.
Include or charge for it: the right pricing strategy
Once the charger is installed, the business model remains. Three approaches coexist. Include it free within the stay, promoting it as a premium service: the simplest option, it boosts your conversion rate and you fold the cost discreetly into the nightly price. Charge a flat fee, for example a fixed supplement per stay, transparent and announced: suited to short, high-turnover stays. Or bill the actual metered consumption: fairer for long stays, but heavier to manage. In most cases, valued inclusion wins: the electricity surcharge stays modest against the visibility gain and the premium rate the amenity justifies. Explicitly mention 'EV charging station' in your title, description and the amenity filters of your listing.
How SmartStay equips and showcases your property
At SmartStay, we build EV charging into the amenity audit of every property we manage in Annecy, Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Lyon. We assess your installation, steer you towards the right solution and a certified EV-charging electrician, and handle the grant paperwork. On the marketing side, we showcase the charger in your listing with the right keywords and visuals, activate the amenity filter on every platform and calibrate the pricing strategy that maximises your net revenue. Our EV-driving guests get clear instructions on arrival and 24/7 support. You gain visibility, a higher average rate and a better class of guest, without managing any of the technical steps. Hand us your property and turn a simple parking space into a booking argument.
Get a revenue estimate for your property →