Free parking/reserved desirable parking at major retail, entertainment, commercial lots, with or without charge spots

Example: select hotels in the Bay area, CA

Some hotels in the Bay Area of California offer parking discounts for reduced emissions vehicles.  For example, the Argent Hotel in San Francisco offers half price parking (save $21/night) and the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose offers free parking for guests driving such vehicles.

Solution Details:

Pain Point:  Consumer hesitation at diving into a new paradigm for mobility

General Implementation Strategy:  Parking perks

Primary Actors:  Business, City Government

Other solutions to this pain point:

• Bundle with home solar energy discounts and incentives
• Free/reserved parking at retail, commercial and other private lots
• Access to restricted driving areas
• Free downtown parking
• Free/reserved parking spots at airports, close to entrance
• Big city decals, special license plates to show off
• Give plug-in drivers access to 'breakdown lanes'
• Give early adopters an ambassador kit
• Free tolls
• Bundle with discounts on home solar
• No congestion fee for plug-ins
• Access to HOV lanes
• Bundle with new green developments
• Ensure that all electricity to car is green
• Car comes with bike, bus pass, and light rail pass
• Bundle with Smart Grid upgrade
• Provide green electricity options and a discount on green purchase programs

Other solutions that fall into this general strategy:

• Free/reserved parking at retail, commercial and other private lots
• Free downtown parking
• Free/reserved parking spots at airports, close to entrance

Other solutions for this primary actor:

• Free/reserved parking at retail, commercial and other private lots
• Provide consumers with access to a 'user support' house call service
• Corporate sponsor provides free life-time charging for x consumers
• Provide developers with information on charging infrastructure operation
• Bundle infrastructure contribution with plug-in purchase or lease
• Generate funds from a variety of sources
• Public investments in plug-in infrastructure match private-sector investments or vice versa
• Use the municipality tax base to pay
• Attach to existing, powered, curbside devices such as gas stations and light poles
• Convince local businesses to build charge spots to show environmental leadership
• Show parking lot owners how to make money by providing 'charge services'
• Use charging stations as a loss-leader
• Install chargers as employee/resident benefit
• Connector/service companies build infrastructure
• Fleets commit to buy a certain number of plug-ins
• Employers incentivize employee plug-in purchase, provide education and charge spots at work
• Sponsor an plug-in related contest for students
• Allow employees to volunteer and give plug-in related presentations to schools
• Invite educators or promising students to shadow plug-in using employees for a day
• Pooled-purchase plug-in orders
• Help consumers understand full life-cycle value of battery
• Ensure plug-ins are used as high-profile vehicles
• Battery lease service
• Implement car share model
• Home charging station warranty
• Explore/support secondary battery markets
• Leverage the collaborative power of a dedicated project leader
• Establish connection between project manager and a point person on the local regions' economic development board
• Car comes with bike, bus pass, and light rail pass
• Early roll-out in taxi fleet, rental cars, corporate fleets.
• Hold a competition for the trial of a vehicle fleet engaging consumers through various mediums

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