Design firm WXY believes it might help. The app is part of a new study undertaken by the firm exploring the idea of a regional tourism network that promotes EV rentals with hotels and attractions, complete with EV charging stations. The concept could be applied across the nation.
Titled “EV Tourism in the Empire State,” the study lays out a roadmap for the popular Hudson River and Catskills tourism areas. Unlike similar EV feasibility studies in other places such as Northern California's wine country, "This is the first plan focusing on people who don't already own cars," says author Adam Lubinsky, a planner with WXY.
Spearheaded by Lubinsky along with consultancy Barretto Bay Strategies and with funding from the state energy agency NYSERDA, the report outlines a workable strategy for creating EV “destination clusters” near popular lodging and leisure sites, within a 70-mile driving radius of commuter rail stations. The next step is promoting the "EV tours" to mainly city dwellers and young families who generally don't own cars and tend to be eco-conscious consumers.
And that's where the app comes in: The EV tourism packages will be all-inclusive deals -- train tickets, EV rental, wine tours and hotels, all with convenient charging stations. Users will be able to book and customize their trips right from their phones, making these getaways fast and easy.
Could "green weekend getaways" increase EV use? Yes, they will, say the planners from WXY and resulting EV tourism will boost the profile of electric cars, too, increasing demand. "Promoting these attractive destination clusters and forging creative, strategic partnerships could spark the emergence of a viable ecosystem that supports broader EV adoption here and eventually, across the nation," says Lubinsky.
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