Resort operators have noticed the influx of guests arriving in electric vehicles (EVs) and are listening to driver requests for access to on-site charging. Leadership has also recognized an emerging opportunity to offer this amenity to guests, and executive buy-in for slopeside charging infrastructure is becoming more prevalent. 

For some of the operators who spoke with SAM, especially those with institutionalized carbon reduction targets, supporting the transition to electric transportation is a welcome and obvious choice. Others are factoring in many considerations in their decision to accommodate EV drivers. 

What’s All the Buzz About? 

The number of EVs registered in the U.S. is approaching 4 million. Annual EV sales surpassed 1 million for the first time in 2023 and did so again in 2024. U.S. sales data show that electric vehicles account for nearly 10 percent of new vehicle sales overall (not including hybrids). In the next decade, EV sales are expected to continue climbing. Technological advancements, declining costs, and more reliable access to charging are predicted to instill confidence for drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles to make the switch to an EV.

Improving access to charging infrastructure is critical to propelling the transition to electric transportation and carbon reductions in the transportation sector. Most EV drivers charge at home by plugging in overnight while they sleep. However, it is likely they will need to “top off” at some point on a given trip away from home. 

There are currently 74,000 public charging stations across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. More than double that amount, 200,000 public EV charging stations, are expected to be available by 2030. 

 Loon Mountain, N.H., has installed 13 public Level 2 chargers (left)—which are constantly in use on weekends—and four private chargers for its own electric vehicles (right).

Show Me the Money 

A massive infusion of public and private investment is being deployed to meet this anticipated need for charging infrastructure. In 2021, the federal government made $5 billion available to build a convenient, consistent national network of public fast-charging infrastructure; some of the first federally funded charging stations are now operational. 

Most public chargers in operation today were funded through state and private sector investments over the last decade. While federal climate investments may sunset under the Trump administration, local funding will continue to expand the charging network, especially where broader statewide or regional plans have identified charging gaps within communities. 

Purgatory Resort, Colo., is on a segment of isolated, rugged highway corridor identified by the Colorado Energy Office as a priority location for fast charging. Through the state’s grant program, the ski area added two 200-kilowatt (kW) direct current fast chargers in 2021. Prior to that, “If you needed a charge to get home from here, you would find yourself in a pretty challenging situation,” says general manager Dave Rathbun. 

Purgatory worked with the regional power utility and the state energy office to get these chargers up and running in about a year, with all three entities sharing the expense. “The power authority oversaw the installation, and we had an easement on some of our private land that was adjacent to where the power came through the parking lot,” Rathbun recalls. “These sit on our private land and, as part of our agreement, we capture the income, which so far is not very much.”

Demand Management

A variety of charger types exist, namely direct current fast chargers (DCFC) and Level 2 chargers, which use alternating current (AC). Both types come in different power ranges, and therefore charging speeds. Power level, cost, and utility capabilities are all variables to consider when deciding which type of charger is most efficient and appropriate for a given location. 

Also, the use cases for DCFC and Level 2 chargers differ. DCFCs are typically best suited for locations where people will only be stopped for short periods of time, such as near highways where drivers want to charge quickly and continue back on the road. Level 2 chargers are an effective option for locations where drivers spend multiple hours, like ski areas. Aside from Purgatory’s fast chargers, other resorts we spoke with have all installed Level 2 chargers.

Whether a resort sees primarily day or overnight guests is another factor that can help indicate if charging is a smart investment. The prevalence of EVs varies across resorts as widely as the distances guests travel to ski. Destination resorts may not see as much demand as those with a large drive market. While Purgatory’s two fast chargers are meeting the current need there, Loon Mountain Resort, N.H., recently more than tripled its charging capacity, and is already considering another expansion. “We realized every day that the most common radio call from the parking lot team was, ‘Are there any chargers left?’” says general manager Brian Norton.

For nearly a decade, Loon was the only ski area in New Hampshire to offer public charging, and it immediately saw an abundance of use from guests driving two hours from the Boston metro area. When it came time to expand the infrastructure, Norton says, “We jumped all in because we know we have the demand.” The resort installed a large-scale public charging area that now has 13 chargers and added a private charging station with four chargers just for its fleet vehicles. “All 13 of those are filled every Saturday and Sunday during the winter, so we could probably do more,” says Norton. 

Norton keeps in touch with the state’s other ski areas and knows several are working on adding charging. For others, charging is not a focus because guests are mostly local and travel just a short distance to ski. He recommends collaborating with nearby resorts and attractions to determine which location has the highest demand and the most appropriate access to the electrical capacity required to support EV charging. 

Utility Engagement

Prior to installing charging equipment, resorts must work with their utility provider to determine whether existing electrical systems can handle an influx of demand and if service or equipment upgrades are necessary to add or expand charging on site. Depending on the location of transformers and other electrical equipment, cost sharing with the utility might make sense. 

To power its 19-kW Level 2 chargers, Loon worked with its utility to find a location on site that is both well suited for charging and served by a utility-managed transformer. “This allowed the utility to tap into their resources to source a bigger transformer in essentially half the time it would have taken us,” says Norton. “From a pure timing perspective, this partnership helped speed up the procurement process, plus we also split the cost of the equipment upgrade with the utility.”

Supply chain delays for high voltage transformers are an issue for charging projects, elevating costs and prolonging installation—something Brighton Resort, Utah, encountered when it set out to expand from two to six charging ports. “We’re just trying to find the infrastructure to support the additional chargers,” says sustainability coordinator Abby Layton, “then they will be installed and available to guests and employees.”

Prior to installing EV chargers, resorts should contact their utility provider to find out if any incentives are available and if incentives have eligibility requirements. Incentives from the state and electric utility helped lower the cost of the chargers for Brighton enough to “where it’s just practical for us to provide a better experience for the guests,” says Layton. While she awaits the installation, Layton is working with the utility and with Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality to secure rebates. “The process is fairly simple once you choose from the list of approved companies to work with,” says Layton. 

Left to Right: Crystal Mountain, Mich., has five free public EV chargers. The resort may add more, which will be easier to do since it owns its own 12,000-volt electrical system, and might charge for charging; The two DC fast-charging units at Purgatory, Colo., are the result of a collaboration between the resort, the regional power utility, and the state energy office.

Planning Ahead 

Another reason to partner with the utility ahead of any new development or renovation is to ensure the site is ready to accept charging infrastructure now or in the future. Identify opportunities to increase electrical capacity and design forward-thinking plans now to save on future “make-ready” work, which can be one of the more costly components of these installations.

Crystal Mountain, Mich., which installed the first two of its five EV chargers in 2011, operates its own 12,000-volt electrical system, which will simplify the process for future installations. “We have a lot of our own infrastructure on site, which makes it easier,” says Jim MacInnes, chairperson and former longtime CEO of the resort. “When we’re ready to expand our charging, we’ll still probably have to get a permit, but everything is a lot easier.”

As part of a large development project at Killington Resort, Vt., some existing infrastructure will be removed at multiple base areas to make way for a new village. The resort is working in close partnership with the developer, utility, and other stakeholders to ensure the project is in sync with efforts to reduce its carbon emissions. Killington has nearly 50 Level 2 chargers across its resort parking lots (including at Pico Mountain). 

“We’re identifying where to update the power supply to accommodate more chargers, maybe even relocate the ones that were displaced,” says Amy Laramie, VP of brand marketing and events.

Planning for expansion can take a while. For Norton and his team at Loon, it took more than a year to find a supplier to work with. “Our sister properties (Loon is owned by Boyne Resorts) were organizing similar projects at the same time, so we all landed on the same supplier to have a common entity to work with,” he says.

Charging Rates

Whether EV chargers are free to use or require a fee is typically determined by capabilities of the model and/or the resort’s needs. Some chargers, especially older and slower models, are not equipped to accept payment. Where there is less demand, resorts may choose to offer free charging because electricity costs remain relatively low compared to the cost of upgrading. 

Brighton, for example, spends just a couple hundred dollars a year to provide free EV charging and has no plans to change that. “Since it’s not huge, we can absorb the cost and keep charging completely free for guests and staff,” Layton says. 

On the other hand, as utilization soars at some resorts, newer charging models may help recoup some of the expense. After more than a decade offering charging for free, Crystal Mountain is “researching options that allow us to charge for a charge,” says MacInnes. Killington will also look to recover some costs in the future with paid chargers. “We can’t give electricity out for free forever,” says Laramie, “but with our new chargers, we’ll just be looking to cover the market rate cost.” 

For resorts where demand for charging is so high that queues form during peak times, a second tier of pricing can be deployed to help manage turnover at designated EV charging parking spaces. Resorts can set higher rates and time limits to encourage drivers to move their vehicles once fully charged to free the unit up for the next vehicle. This fee helps reduce frustration for waiting drivers as well as staff helping to manage the flow of users. 

Where parking is limited, resorts might include a grace period of up to a few hours so guests can enjoy a full day on the mountain without having to worry about the vehicle until they are ready to head home. “We are trying to limit people from leaving their vehicles overnight but don’t want to inconvenience someone who paid to go skiing for the day,” says Loon’s Norton. “Nobody wants to worry about moving their car midday and whether parking is even available at that time.”

Who’s in Charge? 

Regular and proactive monitoring of the equipment is integral to ensuring a consistent charging experience for guests. At Purgatory, it’s the grounds maintenance crew that takes care of clearing snow around the equipment and checks that the chargers appear to be operational. “Then our homeowner services team oversees the operations, which is not much of a lift,” says Rathbun.

EV charger providers often offer a service agreement for any combination of remote monitoring, maintenance, equipment warranties, and troubleshooting to support resort staff that manage the units. Networked equipment typically allows managers to remotely access data about usage and uptime, which is helpful for tracking and forecasting demand. Killington is updating some of its chargers to allow the resort to track usage and operational information for the first time and “will make troubleshooting issues easier for the team to solve or connect to offsite help for more complex issues,” Laramie says.

Loon’s one-year-old chargers include access to a dashboard that provides operational insights. “It’s nifty,” says Norton. “At any given time, I can open the program and see how many vehicles are plugged in, how many chargers are live, if there are any issues, how many kilowatt hours we’re using, the fee that we’re charging, and how much greenhouse gas we’re saving by charging people’s vehicles.” 

 Left to Right: Crystal Mountain, Mich., has five free public EV chargers. The resort may add more, which will be easier to do since it owns its own 12,000-volt electrical system, and might charge for charging; Some existing EV charging infrastructure at Killington, Vt., will be removed to make space for a new base area development, requiring planners to create new charging stations, with updated technology, in other key locations.

An Evolving Marketplace

Not only will access to charging data help resorts track demand trends over time and determine when to start planning for expansion, but it can also be integrated into marketing strategies, marrying the charging experience with the rest of the customer experience. “We have the ability to offer special rates in our promotions,” says Norton, “such as sending pass holders a code for free charging while promoting other aspects of our business.” 

Resorts with chargers are also listed on apps that help drivers find places to plug in. Onsite chargers can present a branding opportunity as well, according to Rathbun. “Our chargers are co-branded and are kind of a cool little billboard,” he says. 

Another benefit is that resorts have an opportunity to establish themselves as climate leaders by making charging publicly available, incorporating EVs into their fleets, and providing customer education. By modeling the transition to electrification that they want to see reflected in guest behavior, resorts will raise guest awareness about driving electric. While EVs aren’t perfect and won’t alone solve our climate crises, they are one lever we can pull to help mitigate the warming climate.

It’s unclear just how much, if at all, administration changes at the highest level of government will influence investment decisions at the local level. What is certain is that resorts, especially those with long-range sustainability goals and carbon reduction targets, will continue to make decisions based on what is best for their business, their customers, and the environment in which they operate.

“For a business that has a large percentage of its volume coming from two-plus hours away, it really is a critical business decision for us,” says Norton of Loon’s EV charging installation. “If we want those people to come here, we need to provide this service to them, and it’s proven out.”