Château Élan at The Vintage opened its EV chargers to every visitor, not just hotel guests. In less than two months, bookings per day doubled and the chargers became a new revenue stream.
When Château Élan at The Vintage joined ivygo through our Charge the Hunter initiative, our initiative to grow EV charging in the Hunter Valley, it already had EV chargers on site. What it didn’t have was a way for most visitors to use them. Here’s what happened when that changed.
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The starting point: chargers only a few could use
Château Élan had three EV chargers already installed. They were free to use, but only for hotel guests.
That left out a lot of people. Golfers at The Vintage Golf Club, diners at the restaurant and day visitors exploring wine country had no way to plug in, even though many were already parked on site for hours.
What changed: bookable charging for every visitor
On 20 August 2026, Château Élan listed its existing chargers on ivygo as one of the first venues in Charge the Hunter.
ivygo works like Booking.com for EV chargers. Drivers find chargers in the app, book a time so the charger is ready when they arrive, and pay through ivygo. We handle the payments, bookings and customer support.
For Château Élan, getting started cost nothing. There are no fixed fees and no onboarding fees, and ivygo only earns when the venue does. As the host, Château Élan sets its own prices and availability and can change them any time.
The results: bookings doubled in only two months
Château Élan received its first paid booking on the day it listed. Between 20 August and 15 October 2026:
- 91 charging bookings were made
- Bookings per day doubled from September to October. Halfway through October, bookings had already matched all of September.
- Over $1,000 was earned by the venue, after ivygo’s fee, from chargers it already had
Source: ivygo payment data, 20 August – 15 October 2026.
The most surprising result: the chargers are busier now than when they were free.
The reason is certainty. When drivers can see a charger in the app, book it ahead and know it will be available when they arrive, they are happy to pay, especially at places they already plan to visit. A free charger that might be taken is worth less to them than a paid one they can rely on.
New visitors, longer stays
Opening up the chargers is bringing new people on site, and keeping them there longer.
- Golfers and diners: day visitors now charge while they play a round or enjoy a meal at the restaurant. Before, only hotel guests could plug in.
- Overnight stays: 23 bookings were overnight charging, about one in four. Guests stay, dine and charge at the same venue.
- Returning customers: 24% of paying customers, almost one in four, have already come back to charge again.
That means more reasons to visit, more time on site and more opportunities to spend.
Already reinvesting in a Greener Future
The results were strong enough that within six weeks, Château Élan invested in its charging. It repaired a fourth charger, listed on ivygo on 25 September, and upgraded its chargers to faster three-phase power.
What this could mean for your venue?
If you already have chargers, you can start earning from day one. List them on ivygo for free, with no fixed fees, no onboarding fees and no lock-in, just as Château Élan did.
If you don’t have chargers yet, a charger costs around $3,500 for typical installation (ex GST). At Château Élan’s earnings of around $260 per charger per month, a charger pays for itself in around a year. Or finance it from around $90 a month, and charging covers the repayment more than twice over.
Every venue is different, so we’ll estimate your potential earnings in a free site assessment.
And that’s from charging alone. It doesn’t include what drivers spend while their car charges: the lunch, the bottle of wine, the round of golf, the night’s stay. 71% of EV drivers spend on-site while charging.
Join Charge the Hunter
Charge the Hunter is ivygo’s initiative to help Hunter Valley businesses attract more EV visitors and turn their carparks into a new source of revenue. Whether you run a winery, restaurant, hotel or golf club, we can help you list existing chargers or plan new ones, from quotes and installation to financing.
Ready to make your venue EV ready?
Book a chat with me or learn more about charge the Hunter here.
Charge the Hunter is supported by Singleton Council and Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association, and delivered with our partners Sydney EV Chargers, Good Earth Group, Power and Country, Smappee and smartease.
