Every EV charging deployment poses the question: do you want your users to pay to plug in? For many electric vehicle site owners and operators, charging fees are an essential part of their business model.
But there are strategic advantages to offering free EV charging, as well as broader considerations, such as customer experience and sustainability commitments.
In this post, we’ll break down the case for both free and paid charging and explore a flexible third option that can be adapted to any situation.
The Case for Free EV Charging
As we discussed in a previous post, the first step in gearing up for EV charging is “finding your why.”
Your goals for EV charging will drive a host of decisions, including if and how much to charge for recharging.
For example, if your primary goal is expanding your customer base, free charging is a simple, effective way to bring people to your door.
Consider free EV charging if your goals include:
- Attracting and retaining commercial tenants and employees by providing a highly valued amenity at no cost
- Enhancing your brand image and drawing new customers and clients
- Boosting traffic to your business, rewarding loyalty, or increasing membership
- Meeting environmental and sustainability standards
- Expanding the public charging network in your community
Free EV charging may also be suitable if:
- Financial incentives took a large bite out of the cost of equipment and installation
- Operating and maintenance costs, including the cost of electricity, are relatively low
- The potential revenue from EV charging is outweighed by the potential benefits of complimentary charging
Free EV Charging Success: The Credit Union
The Hypercharge Site: A community-minded credit union that’s owned entirely by its members and has donated to more than $1.5 million to local causes.
The Why: The credit union aimed to provide a better service experience, promote membership, and reduce its carbon footprint.
The Success: Available exclusively to members, the credit union’s stations are among Hypercharge’s top performing retail stations by total number of charging sessions.
The Case for Paid EV Charging
A paid EV charging model can support your operational goals, long-term ambitions for EV charging, and the evolving needs of EV drivers.
Consider EV charging and idle fees if your goals include:
- Creating a new stream of revenue
- Balancing the needs of your tenants, employees, customers, and clients with financial aims
- Covering the cost of equipment, installation, operating, and maintenance
- Promoting turnover and fair use to ensure chargers are available to those who truly need them
- Generating funds for the future expansion of your charging operation
Paid EV Charging Success: The Country Club
The Hypercharge Site: A members-only country club located in a large urban area, offering premium sports, dining, socializing, and business experiences.
The Why: Despite most members having access to EV chargers at home, there’s a strong demand for reliable Level 2 charging at the club, where charging fees cover costs.
The Success: The club’s chargers are among Hypercharge’s top performing public stations by total number of sessions, total revenue, and total energy delivered.
The Case for Flexible Pricing EV Charging
For the best of both worlds, consider a flexible, dynamic approach to EV charging fees: only certain users, at specific times of day, under particular conditions.
For example, reduce costs and spread-out station usage by offering paid charging during peak demand on the local power grid and free charging during off-peak hours.
With Quantev™ Operations Suite’s cloud-based platform and customized management tools, you can organize users into groups with unique charging rates.
With just a few clicks, employees, loyal customers, and tenants can enjoy free charging while charging and idling fees are implemented for the general public.
Quantev’s powerful analytic tools can help you better understand user behaviour so you can adjust your pricing strategy over time.
Flexible EV Charging Success: The Workplace
The Hypercharge site: An employee-centric software company located in a high-end business park and star of our recent post on meeting the demand for workplace charging.
The Why: The company spotted an opportunity encourage more face time at the office by responding to employee requests for EV charging. It opted for complimentary charging with limits: the first three hours are free, after which a $25 per hour charge applies.
The Success: After a strong start, the number of charging sessions at the company’s chargers has increased by almost 40% over the first 18 months of usage.
Talk to Hypercharge
Hypercharge helps businesses and property owners design EV charging programs that fit their goals, whether that means offering free, paid, or flexible charging. Our turnkey approach combines hardware, software, and analytics to help you create a strategy that balances user satisfaction with operational efficiency.
Schedule a free EV charging consultation with one of our specialists to learn how your site can develop a pricing model that drives engagement, supports sustainability targets, and delivers long-term value.