Golf attracts a diverse demographic, crucially including environmentally conscious individuals who are likely to be interested in sustainable technologies like electric vehicles (EVs). As such, the team behind the Optimus, Go Zero Charge, has placed an increased priority on entering the golf space in 2023 as the brand continues to grow.
As a result, Go Zero Charge has noted an uptake in business opportunities with leading golf courses across the country, helping to facilitate an incredibly harmonious relationship.
Why should golf clubs invest in EV charging?
Car parks with EV charging are becoming the new fuelling stations, but require the right infrastructure, network and support. Golf clubs can simultaneously support their business, powered by the Optimus’ lucrative profit-per-kilowatt offering, while also supporting their customers with top-of-the-line EV chargers onsite. Golf courses, as sprawling venues with extensive parking facilities, provide an ideal location for installing EV charging car parks – the fuelling stations of the future.
Golf clubs are an increasingly popular business hub. The curated, intimate setting is the perfect opportunity for thought leaders and the brightest minds to connect with like-minded individuals and forge valuable relationships. C-level executives, founders, influencers, legal experts and regulatory authorities, among others, can often be found collaborating and connecting at golf courses.
Concurrently, the popularity of battery electric vehicles is rising at a rapid rate in the UK, with 338,274 transactions recorded in 2022 – a number expected to be even greater in 2023. Most manufacturers are now shifting to prioritise the development of EVs, meaning the majority of golf club members will be driving EVs before long, if they’re not already.
How do the golf demographic and EV ownership demographic align?
There’s a very natural overlap in the golf demographic – including 5.6 million on-course adult golfers in Great Britain and Ireland who enjoyed playing on a full-length course in 2022*, over 50% more than pre-pandemic levels – and EV ownership demographic. As the world becomes increasingly green and the UK moves towards EVs, it will become important to golf club members that their resort of choice has sustainability at its core ethos. Working with Go Zero Charge to install chargers can highlight a course’s dedication to reducing carbon emissions and fostering a cleaner future, thus resonating with eco-conscious members.
Whilst the younger generation, widely associated with more eco-conscious consumer habits, certainly see the benefits of purchasing an electric vehicle, the current market consists of old consumers. Close to a quarter (24%) of EV drivers in the UK are over the age of 55**, making it the largest age group. Comparatively, people below the age of 25 only represent 6% of the total EV drivers in the UK**, the smallest age group.
This, in turn, fits with the average age of golf club memberships. 64% of golf club members are aged 50 and over***, providing direct evidence of the overlap in the golf demographic and the EV ownership demographic.
Why should golf clubs work with Go Zero Charge?
Unlike other companies which offer EV car parking charging solutions either cheaply or even free, Go Zero Charge gives its commercial partners 100% of their EV charging profits and only adds a very small fee per kW on top of the charge (post-installation).
For instance, if a golf club installed four chargers and decided to rent out each charger for £0.30 extra per kWh for electricity – using Go Zero Charge’s revenue calculator, it was found that renting out four EV chargers at a highly conservative 20% utilisation (percentage of use in 24 hours) equals £13,352 in estimated net profit per year****.
Expanded across a full five-year lease rental, the estimated net profit totals £40,830. Although, it’s worth noting that the above figure is calculated at an extremely conservative 20% utilisation, which will increase year-on-year as EVs become the new norm. Upon completing the monthly lease rental, ownership of the chargers are transferred to the business – making this a no-brainer. By then, 40% utilisation will be viewed as conservative, increasing the potential supplementary income to £28,910 in estimated profit per year.
Rather than going all in, some businesses might only want to install a select number of chargers to begin. Go Zero Charge’s forward-thinking EV charging solution requires fewer chargers to support a larger number of vehicles, as all chargers are reservable. As soon as the true money-making potential is realised, Go Zero Charge will happily help with expansion and growth.
Looks matter, and this is especially true at naturally beautiful places like golf courses. Go Zero Charge designs, develops and manufactures its own stylish, aesthetically pleasing electric vehicle chargers. The company’s cutting-edge flagship car charger, Optimus, is custom-built to be both extremely durable and truly reliable within the industry.
Driven by an intelligent mobile app that gives customers like golf club members easy control over a range of advanced charging functions. Customers are assured total peace of mind, knowing they’ve reserved the charger prior to arrival and can schedule to use it for as long as they want or need.
All partners gain access to the Go Zero Charge Portal, which allows companies such as golf courses to track each individual unit, what is reserved and how much profit is being generated. Every Optimus is connected to Go Zero Charge’s servers and sends live status updates every 60 seconds, driving unrivalled reliability and support. The built-in health check system acts as a heartbeat for all of Go Zero Charge’s chargers, allowing the team to immediately contact golf clubs in the incredibly unlikely event of a fault.
Go Zero Charge partners with Dan Bradbury, winner of Joburg Open, to increase EV awareness
Go Zero Charge recently unveiled its new partnership deal with Dan Bradbury, one of golf’s fastest rising stars who is currently competing in the DP World Tour. After quickly identifying the 23-year-old Yorkshireman as part of the next generation of golfing superstars, the partnership soon came together and Go Zero Charge officially started its journey into the golf sphere.
As part of the deal, Dan will carry the Go Zero Charge logo on his bicep whilst competing on the DP World Tour – which commenced at the Genesis Scottish Open from July 13 to July 16, followed by the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool from July 20 to July 23. Research shows that fans of the DP World Tour are 45% more likely to be in the higher income bracket and 48% more likely to have a gross household income over £100,000.
In 2023, professional athletes are celebrities and hold substantial sway over their fans and followers. By collaborating with a prominent golf figure like Dan, who endorses EVs, Go Zero Charge can tap into his influence and reach a broader consumer base.
The partnership will see various marketing activities, on-event activations and social media collaborations, all of which are set to be revealed in due course, to help increase EV accessibility, awareness and education.
Peter O’Brien, CMO at Go Zero Charge, explained:
“We, at Go Zero Charge, are incredibly excited to partner with one of the UK’s fastest rising golf stars to help bring more awareness and education to electric vehicles. When exploring partnership opportunities, we quickly realised that the golf fan was a demographic that we wanted to engage with. Prestigious competitions like the DP World Tour are associated with innovation, sustainability and technology and the biggest golfing stars are celebrities in their own right.”
Dan Bradbury added:
“When it comes to protecting the environment, we all know that there’s more work to be done. I’m looking forward to working alongside Go Zero Charge to help bring the important issue of electric vehicle adaptation to the forefront of the golf world. Go Zero Charge makes EV charger installation easy and supports companies, including golf resorts, make the required leap to support members who are EV owners. It’s the way things are going and need to be going.”
After turning professional in mid-2022, Dan secured a fairytale-esque maiden DP World Tour title at the 2022 Joburg Open in his third professional start. There have been plenty more highs since, including tussling with Rory McIlroy in the third and fourth rounds of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Dan is not only one of the most exciting and naturally gifted professionals on the rise, but also has an engaging and likeable personality to match. The DP World Tour is set to visit courses in Switzerland, France, Spain and South Africa throughout 2023 before concluding in Dubai.
Sources:
* R&A data referenced
** Statista data referenced
*** Hillier Hopkins data referenced
**** Financial figures are for illustrative purposes only. Utilisation may vary. Example does not include costs for installation. Installation investment can be offered within the lease terms.
