The LCB and ECOCAMPING conference was internationally well received.
Electric driving is an important building block for a climate-neutral future. The number of electric vehicles on the roads is increasing rapidly. This means that the topic is also becoming more important when traveling. More and more guests are coming to the campsites with electric vehicles and need their electricity. Campgrounds therefore play a key role in expanding the charging infrastructure in rural areas. And campsites are setting an example by relying on e-mobiles themselves: be it cars, caddys, scooters or pedelecs. The LCB is exploring this topic as part of the state-wide model project “Future offensive for electromobility for campsites in Bavaria”. It is the first project of its kind - the LCB is once again doing pioneering work. Together with ECOCAMPING, the LCB held the first specialist conference on “Electromobility on campsites” on March 8th and 9th. She received international acclaim.
In their speeches, Georg Spätling, President of the LCB and Ministerial Director Rudolf Escheu from the project-funding Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy highlighted the great opportunities and challenges in the development of e-mobility in tourism. Rudolf Escheu praised the pioneering achievements of the Bavarian camping industry in this area.
Plugs instead of sockets – entry into electromobility for campsites
Christian Günther, Managing Director of the BVCD, introduced the topic and showed the potential of electromobility for camping in Germany. Dr. Guido Weißmann, from Bayern Innovativ GmbH , cleared up frequently cited prejudices. He made it clear that electric mobility, extrapolated over the lifespan of the vehicles, is comparatively more climate-friendly. The trend is also to reduce the proportion of ecologically and socially critical substances. Tanja Brunnhuber, project manager of the German E-Alpine Road , demonstrated the marketing potential of electric mobile adventure roads and invited the camping industry to actively participate in her initiative.
Exemplary e-mobile camps in Bavaria and internationally
Sergio Comino from Club Camping Jesolo International in Italy has been using electric company vehicles for years and even offers a Tesla as a rental vehicle for his guests. The campsite also generates its electricity entirely from photovoltaics. Armin Sigl from Kur-Gutshof Camping Arterhof in Bad Birnbach also relies on electric company vehicles, rents out an electric BMW i3 to guests and already has a charging station. Uwe Vetter from the Kratzmühle campsite in Kinding has been providing e-vehicles for guests and employees for years - they are “fuelled” with the solar power they generate themselves. Malte Riechey from the Wulfener Hals camping and holiday park on Fehmarn is himself an enthusiastic e-camper with his own Tesla that pulls the caravan. He offers his camping guests charging options directly on site.
Concrete implementation of electromobility on campsites
The second day had the motto “Powerful current – dive deeper!” Everything revolved around technical implementation and the concrete implementation of electromobility on campsites. Technology doesn't have to be complicated - ECOCAMPING consultants Wolfgang Pfrommer and Martin Rolletschek proved this with their presentations. Her top tips for camping businesses were:
- Providing guests with electricity for their mobility is a priority. Makes the pitches suitable for electric vehicles.
- Early communication with the network operator about the performance of the regional network connection (capacity of lines, transformer and house connection) and its expandability.
- Advice in advance from a specialist: Recording your own pitch network to identify weak points and potential for expansion.
- Clear communication with the guest: E-mobiles may not be charged at the stand or only after consultation with the operator, otherwise the stability of the in-house network is at risk.
- Camping companies as prosumers (producers and consumers): rely more on climate-friendly in-house production of electricity.
- In order for camping businesses to avoid costly power peaks, increasing electromobility requires load management and communication-capable technology.
- By 2030, around 10 - 20% of all parking spaces should be prepared for electromobility (direct equipment with a charging station connected via a min. 5x6mm² cable and expandability through empty pipes for additional spaces).
Peter Grett from Touremo provided comprehensive information about a wide variety of electric commercial vehicles for use on the campsite: from e-scooters to e-cargo bikes to e-tracked vehicles. The second day was rounded off with an exciting discussion on the subject of flat-rate electricity charges at the campsite and how to deal with e-mobile day trippers. Werner Köstle from Touremo, Maximilian Fuchs from the Kur- und Feriencamping Max 1 and Malte Riechey from the Wulfener Hals camping and holiday park discussed. The following aspects emerged from the discussion:
- Although flat-rate electricity bills are attractive for guests, they can encourage careless use and thus significantly increase consumption.
- With increasing electromobility, the electricity consumption of individual campers will increase significantly, which is why a flat rate for everyone is not only unfair, but also a cost trap.
- A distinction is made between charging in front of and behind the campsite barrier in terms of billing options.
- A sales tax rate of 19 percent applies to electricity for charging electric vehicles, while 7 percent is due for electricity at the stand as it is part of the overnight service.
- A campsite should be prepared for electromobile day-trippers, otherwise they will switch to other leisure facilities - this way you can attract new guests and further improve your image.
The conference presentations can be requested from ECOCAMPING for in-depth reading (see address below).
Advice funding for Bavarian campsites
Bavarian campsites that want to deal more intensively with the topic can take advantage of consulting services supported by the project. Thanks to a subsidy of 50 percent, the advice only costs 750 euros net per campsite. Participating campsites will receive intensive advice on planning and deciding on e-mobility, as well as the necessary infrastructure, vehicles and energy supply. You also get access to a comprehensive knowledge pool and training opportunities. In addition, the participating campsites will be established as a marketing alliance. If you are interested, contact Iris Schreiber directly: iris.schreiber@ecocamping.de .
Further information about the project, results and specialist information can be found at:
https://ecocamping.de/projekte/zukunftsoffensive-elektromobilitaet
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