ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The EV-charging customer of tomorrow may prove a heavier c-store user than today’s EV driver. That’s one of the takeaways from the new report, “The Business Case for EV Charging: Is It for You?”

As EV adoption rates increase and automakers continue to add to their EV lineup, so too does the discussion among convenience retailers of how/when/if to invest in EV-charging networks. The report, developed by the Convenience Leaders Vision Group (CLVG), consolidates thoughts from industry leaders about the topic.

Can those EV-charging users be profitable whether or not the charge itself can provide margin? As Joe Sheetz, 2017-2018 NACS Chairman and current chairman of the Sheetz Board of Directors noted, “If there is someone on our lot (charging) for 30 minutes and we cannot sell them anything, we are terrible retailers.”

CLVG is part of the Vision Group Network, whose mission is to gather the best minds in the industry four times a year, put them in a virtual room, and let the ideas and opinions develop. NACS President and CEO Henry Armour is among the members of the CLVG.

“The way that we were trying to approach this … is as if this is a large panel [discussion] done at a NACS Show live, where everybody is having a chance to speak. We’re trying to go for the greater good here,” said Vision Group Network Cofounder Roy Strasburger. “The only reason we gather is to discuss, debate and share our experiences and ideas.”

Strasburger said the report will help retailers better understand current challenges, solutions and opportunities while giving them access to different opinions and perspectives, regardless of the size of their business. The report can be downloaded for free.