With the Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure improving each day and the hype for better charging station rest stops coming towards fruition, it’s time we take full advantage of our next great American road trip revolution: rest stop healthcare.
While waiting for my Chevy Bolt to charge this past weekend, I couldn’t help but notice what a unique opportunity charging stations offer for our healthcare needs. EV charging does, at the moment, require more time than a simple gas fill up. But what time you spend waiting on the charge is easily made up for with lower costs and more efficient vehicles. Plus, as a road trip nation, we love a good rest stop. We love to stop to stretch our legs, see local roadside attractions, and get some shopping done. So while we’re waiting on our cars to charge, let’s take advantage of this precious time and charge up our health as well.
What would this look like?
Well, we could take a page out of Tulsa’s gas stations that offer urgent care clinics and start offering them at charging stations. Or we could lean into the wellness and fitness side of things, especially since driving is such a sedentary activity. Like public outdoor gym equipment for adults right next to a playground for kids, along with designated areas for yoga or meditation.
Or how about health kiosks that check your vitals inside the fast-food chain? Or a pharmacy that fills your prescription while your car charges? Another added benefit is we’d be expanding healthcare services to underserved areas. Many small towns along major driving routes have just a handful of services available to them, with the closest hospital usually far away. If EV rest stops offer more than just coffee and charging, local residents could have easier access to care thanks to the new infrastructure investment.
There’s plenty of existing healthcare designs we could incorporate into our rest stop EVolution. If we’re investing in making each EV charging station an oasis with lounges, wifi and shopping, why not dig a little deeper and include healthcare services as well?
Ari Mostov is a healthcare narrative strategist, working with healthcare innovators to create a new narrative for health. Learn more at wellplay.world