Charging electric cars at Central Park

The Central Park success story 

Central Park, by Ron Blaauw is the name of the restaurant and boutique hotel located in the national monument Vreugd en Rust in the Park of the same name. Central Park is centrally located in the Randstad and in a particularly beautiful green area in Voorburg near The Hague. 

Why is Central Park going electric? 

With a high increase in the number of electric cars on the road, we now depend on charging facilities at our pit stops. Good food and clean comfy beds just won't do the trick anymore if you're stuck with an out-of-charge car the moment you're ready to go. This is why McDonalds and Marriott, and everything in between, are now catering to this rising need. Electric shuttles and charging stations have become a new standard. And boy, we couldn't be happier with this trend. 

This new standard deviated from the many sustainability efforts that food and hospitality businesses and individuals have been undertaking in the past decades. While it may have started in your hipster friend's kitchen or with a golden medal on that establishment's wall, sustainability is now something commodified and something everyone partakes in. As Carsten Klint, Owner of Central Park explained: 

"To accommodate a hotel and a restaurant, it's incredibly important to use our energy sources efficiently. We turn off the stove after lunch, and only turn it on once dinner rush starts. Waste processing and recycling are part of our day-to-days too. Simple steps like these are not just cost-effective, but they allow us to run our businesses as sustainable as possible."

The role of charging infrastructure in driving mobility 

Charging facilities will become part of every hotel's facilities. A key element of any green program is guests’ reaction and participation. This is why charging stations are beneficial to any hospitality business. Unlike saving water and heat, which don’t necessarily enhance a lodging or eating experience in a direct sense, charging stations are an instant gratification of a guest’s needs. 

It's no surprise that hotels, restaurants and shops now make up about 14% of all charging ports across the world. This makes them the second largest sector facilitating electric drivers! As Klint shared: 

"In this day and age, all hotels and restaurants should offer charging stations for electric vehicles. They are the future, plus it's a great service we can offer to our guests. I think we can expect the number of charging ports to duplicate in the next few years. For us, EVBox was a choice easily made.”