More and more Americans are concerned not only about skyrocketing gas prices, but also the potential environmental impact of dangerous emissions, and are therefore investing in electric vehicles.
Consequently, major malls are also jumping on this bandwagon and providing charging stations for these customers. For example, in February Tanger Factory Outlets Centers, which own and operate 36 open-air outlet centers throughout North America, worked out a deal with Volta, a national electric vehicle (EV) charging station company, to install charging stations at 10 of its U.S. malls: Fort Worth and San Marcos, TX; Rehoboth Beach, Del.; Atlanta/Locust Grove and Commerce, Ga.; Tilton, N.H.; Daytona Beach, Fla.; Howell, Mich.; Hershey, Pa.; and Pittsburgh. Each mall with have 12 of these Volta chargers and expects to then attract those high-value shoppers who drive electric vehicles.
“The switch to electric vehicles is one of the largest macroeconomic trends of our lifetime,” said Brandt Hastings, chief revenue officer for Volta. “Soon people will no longer have to go to the gas station to fuel up — they will fuel up at the places they already visit, including Tanger Outlet shopping centers.”
Based on electric car purchase numbers recently, the nation seems to have already embraced this clean fuel movement.
“EV sales doubled last year, primarily due to the addition of many new vehicle models with longer ranges and lower prices,” Hasting said. “This trend is expected to escalate with increased commitment from automakers — just one example, GM has stated that they will have 30 new global EV models on the road by 2025, and battery pack costs are estimated to drop 40%.”
Volta charging stations will provide large-format dual digital screens to not only attract customers to the location, but to also offer an advertising platform for the mall’s retail tenants.
“These screens help brands not only capture shoppers’ attention directly on the path to purchase, but shape both their in-store and post-shopping experience,” Hastings said. “Volta operates the Volta Media™ Network, a digital, location-based network that offers our advertising partners the ability to showcase their commitment to driving cultural relevance and true environmental impact.”
Some of the brands that sponsor Volta stations include Netflix, Smart Water, Chase, Starbucks, Nestle, Hulu, FedEx, Jeep, Chevrolet, Dunkin’ and more.
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