[greendave]

Not sure if this is limited to CA, but ChargePoint has recently shifted pricing to per-kWh. In practice, this means that charging can be substantially more expensive as prices are generally on the order of $0.40-$0.50/kWh (usually off-peak vs. peak) as compared to $0.25-0.35/kWh plus $0.10/min, at least at the stations I used to visit (e.g. Oakdale, Garberville).

Curious if anybody knows what changed. I didn’t find any news articles describing a rollout of a new pricing formula.

 

[p7wang]

CP is priced by the station owners.

I see that Baker CP is now as you said... first 50 min = no parking fee. It's definitely easier to understand. Overall, a rate increase.

Looking at Love's Travel Center in Barstow, rate also went up from 25c to now 35-45c. Boo!

East of the station, across the highway, the one at the Outlet Mall is still 25c/kWh.

 

[cwerdna]

CP is priced by the station owners.

Yep. PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You for example has always been 19 cents per kWh since it's been open and still is. It and the unit at one point was down for over 3 months though.

PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You is ChargePoint HQ ans is still 25 cents per kWh where it's been for a long while. Someone added an employee only tag which I believe is wrong.

 

[greendave]

Yep. PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You for example has always been 19 cents per kWh since it's been open and still is. It and the unit at one point was down for over 3 months though.

PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You is ChargePoint HQ ans is still 25 cents per kWh where it's been for a long while. Someone added an employee only tag which I believe is wrong.

Okay. But it is pretty odd that so many sites have chosen near-identical pricing? I mean, with the exception of the Caltrans chargers, the old 24kW chargers, and a couple of oddballs, every ChargePoint north of Santa Rosa in the state is $0.40/kWh ($0.50/kWh peak) or $0.45/kWh.

US 101: Smith River, Crescent City, Arcata, Loleta, Garberville, Laytonville, Ukiah, Cloverdale.
I-5: Yreka, Weed, Shasta, Dunsmuir, Lakehead, Redding, Anderson, Red Bluff, Dunnigan
I-80 etc: Colfax, Nevada City, Auburn
US-50: South Tahoe, Strawberry, Placerville

Also in the mountains:
CA-120: Oakdale, Groveland
CA-41: Oakhurst

And a few locations I checked farther south:
CA-14: Inyokern, Tehachapi, Mojave

Between that and EvGo going to $0.39/kWh ($0.49/kWh peak) and EA switching over to $0.31/kWh statewide, fast charging is going to cost a lot more going forward.

(Tesla still seems to be a bit better - $0.21/kWh ($0.42/kWh peak) in many places - but that's gone up too).

Seems that something is going on...

 

[p7wang]

Okay. But it is pretty odd that so many sites have chosen near-identical pricing? I mean, with the exception of the Caltrans chargers, the old 24kW chargers, and a couple of oddballs, every ChargePoint north of Santa Rosa in the state is $0.40/kWh ($0.50/kWh peak) or $0.45/kWh.

US 101: Smith River, Crescent City, Arcata, Loleta, Garberville, Laytonville, Ukiah, Cloverdale.
I-5: Yreka, Weed, Shasta, Dunsmuir, Lakehead, Redding, Anderson, Red Bluff, Dunnigan
I-80 etc: Colfax, Nevada City, Auburn
US-50: South Tahoe, Strawberry, Placerville

Also in the mountains:
CA-120: Oakdale, Groveland
CA-41: Oakhurst

And a few locations I checked farther south:
CA-14: Inyokern, Tehachapi, Mojave

Between that and EvGo going to $0.39/kWh ($0.49/kWh peak) and EA switching over to $0.31/kWh statewide, fast charging is going to cost a lot more going forward.

(Tesla still seems to be a bit better - $0.21/kWh ($0.42/kWh peak) in many places - but that's gone up too).

Seems that something is going on...

'MSRP Adjustment'?

 

[p7wang]

I would like to see Travel Centers offer L2 or slower DC charging at lower price point so travelers can car camp (and shower, eat at their facility).

 

[jmcbrew]

It doesn’t look that different to me. Am I missing something?

If you charge for an hour and get 30 kWh added to your battery:
45 cents per kWh costs $13.50.
30 cents per kWh plus 10 cents a minute costs $12.

In my area, I have seen cases where time based charging is more than double what per kWh charging costs. Now IF the time based chargers were higher power AND the car could accept that higher rate of charge, those numbers could flip.

 

[jefro]

When I looked at other company pricing I assume they want to charge by KWH. The price would triple in my state based on my calculations. It might be more fair to other users but not me.

 

[Coastal_Cruiser]

Not sure if this is limited to CA, but ChargePoint has recently shifted pricing to per-kWh. In practice, this means that charging can be substantially more expensive as prices are generally on the order of $0.40-$0.50/kWh (usually off-peak vs. peak) as compared to $0.25-0.35/kWh plus $0.10/min, at least at the stations I used to visit (e.g. Oakdale, Garberville).

Not sure I understand your question. In both cases the stations were charging per-kWh, right? You do know a California law is cutting in next year forcing stations to charge by the kW and not by time parked, and that some vendors like EVGO here have already started cutting over. Perhaps some CP station owners are anticipating that even their auxiliary parking fee won't fly under the new law?

Okay. But it is pretty odd that so many sites have chosen near-identical pricing? I mean, with the exception of the Caltrans chargers, the old 24kW chargers, and a couple of oddballs, every ChargePoint north of Santa Rosa in the state is $0.40/kWh ($0.50/kWh peak) or $0.45/kWh.

In researching who sets the rate at a station I often charge at, I got the impression that a group of stations spread across a geographical area owns the stations. Thus they met set the same price for all stations.

Trying to get ownership information out of ChargePoint support is like pulling teeth. I tried to make contact with a station owner at one location in a shopping center. CP support wouldn't reveal the owner. The stations are not owned by any one store at the center. A management group for the center acts as buffer between a customer and the owner, and they knew nothing.

 

[cwerdna]

Not sure I understand your question. In both cases the stations were charging per-kWh, right? You do know a California law is cutting in next year forcing stations to charge by the kW and not by time parked, and that some vendors like EVGO here have already started cutting over. Perhaps some CP station owners are anticipating that even their auxiliary parking fee won't fly under the new law?

You mean bill/price by the kWh?

 

[Coastal_Cruiser]

Yes. I thought that's what I said. Oh. You're pointing out that I left off the "h". OK.

 

[Herbie Bolt]

In Canada only distribution companies can sell electricity by the KWh.
This may change shortly as Tesla has approached Measurement Canada for permission for EV charging companies to charge by time as they all are now to by the KWh.

CANADA – PROGRESS MADE TO ENABLE kWh-BILLING FOR EV CHARGING - Engage Tesla

engage.tesla.com

I am find it more expensive with fewer chargers all the time, not long ago all the DCFCs were free at Toronto’s Pearson International, now it’s $7.70 per hour, not bad but more than free.
Got to love progress.

 

[greendave]

It doesn’t look that different to me. Am I missing something?

If you charge for an hour and get 30 kWh added to your battery:
45 cents per kWh costs $13.50.
30 cents per kWh plus 10 cents a minute costs $12.

In practice it works out to be more. $0.25/kWh + $0.10/min at a 37kW station is ~$0.41/kWh. vs. $0.50/kWh at peak times (most of the afternoon). So ~24% price increase. It's not the end of the world, but it's not nothing.

Not sure I understand your question. In both cases the stations were charging per-kWh, right? You do know a California law is cutting in next year forcing stations to charge by the kW and not by time parked, and that some vendors like EVGO here have already started cutting over. Perhaps some CP station owners are anticipating that even their auxiliary parking fee won't fly under the new law?

I guess the main point is that the they've (mostly) removed the low(ish) per-minute parking fee for the first hour, in favor of a much higher per-kWh fee. Unless you're in the habit of charging for a long time, you're essentially paying exclusively per-kWh compared to before.

In researching who sets the rate at a station I often charge at, I got the impression that a group of stations spread across a geographical area owns the stations. Thus they met set the same price for all stations.

Trying to get ownership information out of ChargePoint support is like pulling teeth. I tried to make contact with a station owner at one location in a shopping center. CP support wouldn't reveal the owner. The stations are not owned by any one store at the center. A management group for the center acts as buffer between a customer and the owner, and they knew nothing.

Yes, that sounds about right. I certainly couldn't find anything meaningful regarding who is actually operating these locations.

I'm doubtful that even at current prices they're making much money. But at the same time, I'm not that excited to be spending significantly more than I would have on gasoline ($4.50/gal at 55mpg =~ $.081/mi vs. $0.40/kWh at 4mi/Kwh =~ $0.10/mi).

 

[GregBrew]

You mean bill/price by the kWh?

This is certainly a case where the "h" is extremely important!

 

[Coastal_Cruiser]

I'm doubtful that even at current prices they're making much money. But at the same time, I'm not that excited to be spending significantly more than I would have on gasoline ($4.50/gal at 55mpg =~ $.081/mi vs. $0.40/kWh at 4mi/Kwh =~ $0.10/mi).

Yeah it's always a gyp when you pay more at a charging station than to fill up at a gas station, but the sliver lining of course is that with a gas car you always have to gas up at a gas station. Not so with charging an EV at home off of solar panels or overnight rates

I just charged at the most expensive ChargePoint station I've seen to date. A small regional airport. 65 cents /kWh. Plus 10 cents /min parking. This of course is where "the people" will start demanding legislation to cap pricing. Hopefully competition will instead throttle high prices, but there has to be the electricity to supply to a competitor, and I doubt an airport would allow two vendors on the property. ?

Interestingly, the chargers are in the paid parking area of the airport, and charging an EV does not get your parking validated. So it's a double whammy. But eating at the airport restaurant does validate. So I did, because I've heard a prominent local chef took over the restaurant last year. Indeed, a meal of delicious clam chowder and killer chicken wings, along with validation. Then to my surprise and delight the charging session was free. FREE. No explanation. No signs. But even my ChargePoint account the next day showed the session as free. Go figure.

 

[jefro]

"the most expensive ChargePoint station I've seen to date."

CCHD LEVEL 3
DCFAST HOG

502 S Padre Island Dr
Corpus Christi, TX


"They are charging $90/hr for this charger. It needs to be removed. "

I did drive downtown a few years ago and parked in a place that was supposed to be free if you charged. Cost me $25 to charge in a $10 parking lot.

 

[Herbie Bolt]

Yeah it's always a gyp when you pay more at a charging station than to fill up at a gas station, but the sliver lining of course is that with a gas car you always have to gas up at a gas station. Not so with charging an EV at home off of solar panels or overnight rates

I just charged at the most expensive ChargePoint station I've seen to date. A small regional airport. 65 cents /kWh. Plus 10 cents /min parking. This of course is where "the people" will start demanding legislation to cap pricing. Hopefully competition will instead throttle high prices, but there has to be the electricity to supply to a competitor, and I doubt an airport would allow two vendors on the property. ?

Interestingly, the chargers are in the paid parking area of the airport, and charging an EV does not get your parking validated. So it's a double whammy. But eating at the airport restaurant does validate. So I did, because I've heard a prominent local chef took over the restaurant last year. Indeed, a meal of delicious clam chowder and killer chicken wings, along with validation. Then to my surprise and delight the charging session was free. FREE. No explanation. No signs. But even my ChargePoint account the next day showed the session as free. Go figure.

So the moral of the story is Refuelling 2 is cheaper than 1. LOL

 

[SparkE]

Most ChargePoint (CP) chargers are sold to businesses and pricing is set by them, but not all. ChargePoint does own and operate quite a few DCFC chargers along major travel corridors in Calif. It was part of the CEC subsidized grants to make most of Calif accessible to EVs. Almost all of the CP DCFCs along US-101, I-5, I-80, US-50, CA-58, I-10, and I-15 are owned by ChargePoint and have pretty much identical pricing.

EVgo (who I have been bitter about for 10 years now, due to how they got started) seems to now have the cheapest DCFC pricing in California (well, except for the few free ones). They now charge 28¢ per kWh, with a $5 monthly subscription BUT that includes $5 of free charging. So if you use it once a month, it is worth it. IF EVgo is conveniently close to you. If I lived in an apartment, it would be my main choice for charging.

 

[ARob]

EVgo (who I have been bitter about for 10 years now, due to how they got started) seems to now have the cheapest DCFC pricing in California (well, except for the few free ones). They now charge 28¢ per kWh, with a $5 monthly subscription BUT that includes $5 of free charging. So if you use it once a month, it is worth it. IF EVgo is conveniently close to you. If I lived in an apartment, it would be my main choice for charging.

You can avoid the monthly fee if you link your EVGo account to your AAA account. EVgo Promotion

Even though that site seems to be AAA NorCal, it worked on my CO account and people all across the country have reported success. Basically, same pricing as with the one prepaid session fee, but no monthly cost (and thus no free session).

Curious about the controversy you refer to re: their startup?

 

[Coastal_Cruiser]

Curious about the controversy you refer to re: their startup?

This is doubtfully anything to do with SparkE experiences, but an interesting EVGO anecdote none-the-less. I use my Bolt for rideshare, and I picked up a family on vacation who were a fellow owners. The father had a story that an EVGO station had caught his car on fire. Not the battery issue, something shorted out at the charge port and the car burned to the ground. The guy told me that EVGO replaced all the connectors at all their stations after that episode.

(GM bought the man a new car. Assumedly to avoid bad PR. Little did GM know of the firestorm coming down the pike)