High public charger pricing - war on EVs?

[SpaceEVDriver]

Love the run down. How’d you

get all this information recorded ABRP?
BASED on this gas prices were $4.60? Please clarify The math. We are taking my standard range lightning on a trip in late february from ny to New Mexico-cali-back to NY.

Most of the data were recorded via CarScanner.
I sampled gas prices through gasbuddy along the same route to get an average.
I took samples of wind speeds via the windspeed maps available online.

You may experience lower temperatures, but you will probably encounter far better wind speeds than we did. I don’t know what the weather will be like—it’s become weirder and weirder all the time.

I have a hard cap on the truck but not an over-the-cab camper, so your wind resistance will be higher.

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[Thunder⚡️ Lightning]

Most of the data were recorded via CarScanner.
I sampled gas prices through gasbuddy along the same route to get an average.
I took samples of wind speeds via the windspeed maps available online.

You may experience lower temperatures, but you will probably encounter far better wind speeds than we did. I don’t know what the weather will be like—it’s become weirder and weirder all the time.

I have a hard cap on the truck but not an over-the-cab camper, so your wind resistance will be higher.

Certainly, it will be less aerodynamic no question there. But my question is what gas price did you use in your equation?

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Certainly, it will be less aerodynamic no question there. But my question is what gas price did you use in your equation?

I used $4.64/gallon, the average of samplings from gasbuddy I took along the route.

 

[Kakaratto]

What we really need is a Gasbuddy for DCFCs. PlugShare does show this, but you gotta dig around a bit for the info.

 

[potato]

What we really need is a Gasbuddy for DCFCs. PlugShare does show this, but you gotta dig around a bit for the info.

Yeah, the pricing is not front and centre at all with PlugShare. Problem is, it's really not as straightforward as gas. Some places have session fees, idle fees, different prices with membership/subscription, different prices at different times of day... it's a mess.

I imagine we'll get to a more sensible standardized system eventually, but pricing is still the Wild West for now.

 

[TwentyTwentyThree]

You all do some adventurous shit with your trucks. I just use mine to drive to work and run errands. With near 27k on the dash - I have charged away from home once.

 

[davehu]

We just took a 2500 mile road trip through AZ and CA.

• Total distance: 2,508 miles
• Total energy used: 1,201 kWh
• Average efficiency: 2.1 mi/kWh
• Total cost: $376.58
• Cost per mile: $0.15
• DC fast-charge stops: 11 (plus some hotel charging)
• Elevation gain/loss: 42,681 ft each
• Max elevation: 7,364 ft
• Min driving temp: 37°F (27°F recorded)
• Max wind gusts: 65 mph crosswinds

Conditions were not EV-friendly (cold temps, wind, mountains, heavy DCFC use).

But if we had a gassy vehicle and had driven that, we would have paid significantly more.

Vehicle	MPG	Fuel Used	Total Cost	Cost per Mile	Cost relative to Lightning
2.7L EcoBoost	20 mpg	~125 gal	~$581	~$0.23	-$205
3.5L EcoBoost	19 mpg	~132 gal	~$611	~$0.24	-$235
3.5L PowerBoost Hybrid	23 mpg	~109 gal	~$505	~$0.20	-$130
F-150 Lightning (actual)	—	1,201 kWh	$376.58	$0.15	—

We could have, of course, saved even more if we’d driven the Mustang, but it’s not as comfortable as the Lightning.

Last year, we did a longer trip along much of the same route in late November instead of late December. We got 2.33 miles/kWh on that drive and averaged $0.13 mile.

your comparison is very fair, using vehicles with similiar capability.... namely PU trucks. However many of us, myself included have secondary vehicles that are ICE. In my own case I nixed use of the Lightning in two December trips because my wife's Honda Pilot gets 28mpg and gas in Texas was $2.10/gallon!

 

[davehu]

I compare to what I would save if I were using my old Camry at 33mpg that I traded in for the Lightning or the Tacoma I would’ve gotten at 19mpg.

@ 2.4 mi/kWh, the break-even point would be:
$0.196 / kWh - Camry
$0.341 / kWh - Tacoma

@ 2.0 mi/kWh, the break-even point would be:
$0.164 / kWh - Camry
$0.284 / kWh - Tacoma

With home charging of $0.11 / kWh off-peak rate, I definitely beat the break even point at both 2.0 and 2.4kWh by a large margin.

The problem is always fast charging on long road trips where rates are > $0.44 / kWh up to $0.60 / kWh. At those rates, I spend a whole lot more compared to driving a Tacoma or Camry at both 2.0 and 2.4 mi /kWh thresholds.

Thankfully I charge at home and I budget trips to reduce costs using PlugShare to find economically charging stations, but most are def over $0.40 / kWh

exactly!

 

[davehu]

I used $4.64/gallon, the average of samplings from gasbuddy I took along the route.

$4.64.gallon! YIKES!!! In my neck of the woods (Texas/Arkansas) gas is $2.15/gallon

 

[davehu]

This entire thread is a perfect example of why EV's have a long way to go to overtake ICE. I love my Lightning and it will be the last vehicle I ever own, but I charge at home and take my wifes ICE car for trips.

 

[B177y]

$4.64.gallon! YIKES!!! In my neck of the woods (Texas/Arkansas) gas is $2.15/gallon

Welcome to gas prices in WA. Just very recently dropped below $4/gal in my area. Was near $4.50 - $5.00 for most of 2025. Diesel is $5.50...

 

[flabrent]

IMHO this sub $60/bbl crude and a national average of gas at less than $3/gal is hurting someone's pocketbook. I doubt it'll be too long before they say "uncle."

 

[astrand1]

The only public charging I use is Tesla. All the other ones suck.

I agree. When traveling I almost always use SC. They tend to be consistent with speed and usually cheaper than anything else around.

 

[ds03]

New Ionna rechargery just opened in Brattleboro, VT. $0.35. Will bring needed competition to the Tesla and Rivian stations nearby.

New Mercedes station in Lee, MA at $0.40, in same mall as EA at $0.63.

Starting to see more choices, and prices reflecting that, at least in some areas.

 

[AMG]

I don't see how California will ever get to their [initial] goal of 100% EV sales by 2035 if

1. Gas prices don't skyrocket. The whole EV push in CA can be simplified if gas was $9/gallon.
2. Electric commodity pricing continues to rise, with CA being the most expensive energy cost in the USA
3. CA imposes a mileage tax for EV, as many are asking for.
4. DCFC costs are often so much higher than even the costs to charge at home. Many in CA will not have the option to charge at home L2, just due to their living situation.

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