High public charger pricing - war on EVs?

[RickLightning]

While fast charging on a trip can be expensive, the #1 reason why people freak out at the cost is because they are unfamiliar with how to plan a trip and don't seek out lower expensive options.

1) Find hotels with free charging.

2) Plan your trip with tools like ABRP and PlugShare, AND use apps like Tesla, EA and others to ensure you're find low cost charging options.

3) Don't assume any app finds low cost charging options for you. Nearly nothing does that. Just like GasBuddy, YOU, the driver, have to do your research.

4) PLAN. It matters. Many EA locations are 64 cents. Most people don't join the membership for $7 the morning of a trip, then immediately downgrade, which takes effect in 30 days, and saves 25%. "I don't travel often" says the math-challenged person. 64 x 25% = 16 cents. $7 / .16 = 44kW for breaking even. That's less than one charge to cover the membership. And, if you sign up the morning of the trip, then immediately downgrade, you don't have to remember to cancel. Let's assume a 500 mile trip, leaving with 100%, and arriving with 10%. 1.5 miles per kWh efficiency. That's 333kWh. Using 90% from home leaves 215kWh. 215 x .16 = $34.42 of savings at a cost of $7.00.

Let's assume you find Tesla SuperChargers can work. Let's assume a cost of 55 cents (already cheaper than EA). That same location is 39 cents with the $12.99 membership. Doing the above math, total cost would be 39 x 215 = $83.85, with the $12.99 membership = $96.84. EA without the discount would have been $137.60... With the discount is $110.20. Of course eating the membership on one day is probably unfair, because you'd then return home and not pay the membership again.

5) That free hotel charging might have given you 50kWh, saving you almost $20...

Cost to drive 500 miles, assuming home charging at 20 cents, would have been:

131 x .9 * .2 = $23.58
131 x .5 x FREE = 0
149.6kWh x 39 = $71.33

Total cost is $94.91 or 19 cents per mile...

"Hey, this gas is expensive"
"You're at a Shell station by the highway, why didn't you drive over there to Costco?"
"Because money doesn't matter to me"
"Then why are you complaining?"

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[pirate4x4lance]

Not really, just charged for .26 a couple of days ago… in CA of all places!

 

[EV Engineer]

Outside of maybe macro government politics, there is no ---"war on EV's".

Market prices fluctuate. These level 3 chargers are not cheap, the companies have to regain some capital.

On very long road trips (>500 miles), gas becomes very comparable if not cheaper than EV at current. But remember, gas is about as cheap right now as it's been in 30 years.(outside of covid times).

Also- trucks are just not the most efficient road tripper. Outside of a few use cases, I just don't understand EREV. How many people need 700 mile range? And are willing to pay 80k for that ability. Once a year for christmas sure, but routinely?

If you're really on the road all the time a toyota prius can get across the country for like $100 bucks. Better than a model 3.

 

[abcut973]

Walmart has recently built their own supercharging stations mainly in dallas TX, some in OK and AZ i think. It is 42cts/kwh. Not the cheapest but decent without the need of membership. Activating the charging session was seamless to me by following the instructions on the screen. Luckily I had already the walmart app installed from a long time ago. But I would understand it can take a little while to get things going if you never had an walmart account. Other than that these stations offers NACS and CCS per stall (like IONNA). I believe they use the same equipment, just painted with walmart colors.
99% of the time I charge at home. But I do agree DCFC rates have gone higher in recent days. 69cts being the highest I've seen so far (GM energy at pilot flying station). Which is why planning your trips is essential as mentioned by Rick. Combined with a membership = win.
Cheapest i have seen with tesla membership is 26 to 28cts off peak hours otherwise 31cts. Second is IONNA at 36cts flate rate. Then Walmart (not EA) at 42cts. I have no experience with EA membership but 16cts is a good price if correct.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

While fast charging on a trip can be expensive, the #1 reason why people freak out at the cost is because they are unfamiliar with how to plan a trip and don't seek out lower expensive options.

1) Find hotels with free charging.

2) Plan your trip with tools like ABRP and PlugShare, AND use apps like Tesla, EA and others to ensure you're find low cost charging options.

3) Don't assume any app finds low cost charging options for you. Nearly nothing does that. Just like GasBuddy, YOU, the driver, have to do your research.

4) PLAN. It matters. Many EA locations are 64 cents. Most people don't join the membership for $7 the morning of a trip, then immediately downgrade, which takes effect in 30 days, and saves 25%. "I don't travel often" says the math-challenged person. 64 x 25% = 16 cents. $7 / .16 = 44kW for breaking even. That's less than one charge to cover the membership. And, if you sign up the morning of the trip, then immediately downgrade, you don't have to remember to cancel. Let's assume a 500 mile trip, leaving with 100%, and arriving with 10%. 1.5 miles per kWh efficiency. That's 333kWh. Using 90% from home leaves 215kWh. 215 x .16 = $34.42 of savings at a cost of $7.00.

Let's assume you find Tesla SuperChargers can work. Let's assume a cost of 55 cents (already cheaper than EA). That same location is 39 cents with the $12.99 membership. Doing the above math, total cost would be 39 x 215 = $83.85, with the $12.99 membership = $96.84. EA without the discount would have been $137.60... With the discount is $110.20. Of course eating the membership on one day is probably unfair, because you'd then return home and not pay the membership again.

5) That free hotel charging might have given you 50kWh, saving you almost $20...

Cost to drive 500 miles, assuming home charging at 20 cents, would have been:

131 x .9 * .2 = $23.58
131 x .5 x FREE = 0
149.6kWh x 39 = $71.33

Total cost is $94.91 or 19 cents per mile...

"Hey, this gas is expensive"
"You're at a Shell station by the highway, why didn't you drive over there to Costco?"
"Because money doesn't matter to me"
"Then why are you complaining?"

If we had planned our stops based on cost, we could have saved at least another $40-$100. The DCFC charging we did was based on convenience, not cost.

Some examples:
The first and last stops were at an EVGo station. We stopped there because of the clean restrooms rather than the cost ($0.65/kWh). We could easily have saved quite a bit more by going to the EA station 20 miles farther (closer on the return trip) and paid less than $0.40/kWh.

And we skipped a brand-T station in favor of another EVGo because the Brand-T only had 8 plugs and that’s always a sketchy option in CA any time other than late at night.

EVGo has terrible pricing, but the Flying J stops they are often associated with on our routes have clean restrooms.

 

[RickLightning]

Walmart has recently built their own supercharging stations mainly in dallas TX, some in OK and AZ i think. It is 42cts/kwh. Not the cheapest but decent without the need of membership. Activating the charging session was seamless to me by following the instructions on the screen. Luckily I had already the walmart app installed from a long time ago. But I would understand it can take a little while to get things going if you never had an walmart account. Other than that these stations offers NACS and CCS per stall (like IONNA). I believe they use the same equipment, just painted with walmart colors.
99% of the time I charge at home. But I do agree DCFC rates have gone higher in recent days. 69cts being the highest I've seen so far (GM energy at pilot flying station). Which is why planning your trips is essential as mentioned by Rick. Combined with a membership = win.
Cheapest i have seen with tesla membership is 26 to 28cts off peak hours otherwise 31cts. Second is IONNA at 36cts flate rate. Then Walmart (not EA) at 42cts. I have no experience with EA membership but 16cts is a good price if correct.

That's the 25% savings off the 64 cents price...

 

[RickLightning]

Another fun fact.

Tesla stations quote prices with taxes and fees included. EA does not. Many others do not.

FPL doesn't. Last year in Florida FPL shows 30 cents, it was over 38 cents with taxes and fees.

 

[K6CCC]

Not really, just charged for .26 a couple of days ago… in CA of all places!

I have charged at that same station in Needles back in May 2025. It was the same $0.26 / KWH with a Tesla membership back then. Yep, cheapest fast charging I have used except for a heavily subsidized (by Pasadena Water & Power) station in Pasadena that used to be $0.15 / KWH.

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

Note that we saved as much as we did in part because we had access to “free” Level 2 charging in several locations (hotels and homes).

We also find EV driving far more comfortable.

SpaceEVDriver, you and I have compared notes before and our experience is very similar on long trips. I’m 71 years old and my Lightning is - by far - the best road tripping machine I’ve ever owned.

I like to say that no hotels (or other destinations) give away free gas. Even when I have to pay for it, it is impossible to beat the convenience of waking up in the morning with a “full tank.”

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

SpaceEVDriver, you and I have compared notes before and our experience is very similar on long trips. I’m 71 years old and my Lightning is - by far - the best road tripping machine I’ve ever owned.

I like to say that no hotels (or other destinations) give away free gas. Even when I have to pay for it, it is impossible to beat the convenience of waking up in the morning with a “full tank.”

One of the best things about driving an EV on a road trip is NOT having to take time away from visiting to go fill up. Even if we can’t charge at the home of the people we’re visiting, it’s almost always been as simple as just plugging in overnight at the hotel’s L2 charger. Even when that’s cost money, it’s been cheaper than DCFC and it’s been wonderfully convenient to wake up with a truck that’s at 100%.

There have been a couple of times when the hotel advertised L2 or Plugshare claimed L2 and it didn’t work out for whatever reason. Those times are anomalies rather than the norm. I’d like to see more hotels with L2 charging, but for now we can go most places we want and still get an overnight charge for free or cheap.

 

[Pauliep]

Imagine paying these prices. This is in downtown Los Angeles yesterday. Your kwh has now jumped exponentially in your favor.

 

[CuttingedgeMedia]

I make a big city trip once a month—about 4.5 hours each way—in my Lightning or Mach-E. Back when I used my gas trucks, it always took three tanks: one to get there, one for driving around, and one to get home.

Now? I use Tesla Superchargers, and the whole trip costs me about $18 per charge—three times total—plus the Tesla membership at $16/month. If you haven’t tried Tesla chargers yet, I highly recommend it! Once you’re set up, you just plug in and go. Super simple.

For the first couple of years, using EA, Shell, or Petro-Can chargers was a headache. Sometimes you needed the app first, sometimes you had to plug in first, and sometimes the payment wouldn’t go through in the app, and I had to pay via CC. Plus, with only 2–4 chargers at a location, you’d often have to hunt for one that was free or wasn’t broken.

With Tesla, it’s a completely different experience. Each location has 12–20 chargers, so no stress about availability. I even did the trip at -35°C one month—no problem! Honestly, I’m never going back to gas.

 

[abcut973]

....
Now? I use Tesla Superchargers, and the whole trip costs me about $18 per charge—three times total—plus the Tesla membership at $16/month. If you haven’t tried Tesla chargers yet, I highly recommend it! Once you’re set up, you just plug in and go. Super simple.
.....

Tesla membership is $12.99 + tax which is around $14 per month. And it is not yet plug and charge. You still have to use the app to benefit from the membership pricing. We do have plug and charge via fordpass app but this will not activate the discounted rate as far as I know.

 

[CuttingedgeMedia]

You are right on both counts, I'm in Canada so I pay more monthly and yes if I just plug in the Ford Pass app will start the charging... If I want the reduced Tesla pricing I start the app choose my location, charge station # and click charge... Still a lot easier than the alternatives... at this point.

 

[MaintGrl]

I'm in southern California - home to some of the highest electric rates in the country. Yesterday I made the shortest time charge since I bought my truck at a BP Pulse station in Duarte, CA. I paid $0.40 per KWH for just under 10 KWH total (stopped mainly to use the nice clean restroom).

End of October I paid $0.44 and $0.45 in Baker, and Barstow, Calif. with a Tesla subscription ($0.62 and $0.63 if I did not have the subscription). Earlier in October I paid $0.43 and $0.46 in Barstow and Lone Pine, Calif. with a Tesla subscription ($0.60 and $0.65 without the subscription).

And I agree with Scorpio3d that the $40 that WXman saw was a hold, not the total charge. That is VERY common. Might take a day or two before the correct value shows up on your credit card account.

And so far (never used Walmart - none here), I have never had any real issues with public charging. I have used Tesla, Electrify America, BP Pulse, PowerFlex, EVGo, and CalTrans for fast charging, and Shell Recharge, ChargePoint, and Tesla Destination for L2 charging. My only complaint is the requirement to have a bunch of different apps on my phone...

Yes, like having to have a gas card for a dozen different Gas stations on a trip..No Thanks . . .

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