Electrify America (EA), which is currently one of the largest DC fast-charger networks in the United States, announced it will raise its prices starting on March 6, both for subscribers and occasional users.
In a note sent to customers, Electrify America said that the higher cost of electricity and rising operational costs made it update its pricing policy. Currently, one kilowatt-hour for non-subscribers costs $0.43, but from March it will be $0.48/kWh. That’s not a big change – only five cents per kWh – but when you’re driving across the country in an EV and charging at EA, it adds up.
It’s an 11.6-percent increase for those who need solid numbers, which translates to a real-world cost increase of $5 for a 100 kWh top-up. However, for EA Pass+ members paying the $4 monthly fee for cheaper rates, the price hike is bigger percentage-wise, going from $0.31 to $0.36 per kWh, or 16% more than before.
But not all charging locations are created equal, with some states billing by the number of minutes you’re plugged in. For these, Electrify America will raise the price from $0.16 to $0.19 per minute for charging speeds between 1-90 kW, while higher charging speeds – between 90-350 kW – will be billed with $0.37 per minute. In other words, it will be 19% and 16% more expensive than before.
EA Pass+ members will have to pay $0.15 instead of $0.12 per minute for 1-90 kW charging and $0.29 instead of $0.24 per minute for 90-350 kW charging. These are increases of 25% and 20.8% respectively.
“We’ve tried hard to maintain our current pricing, but rising operational and energy costs have now made adjusting our pricing necessary. We shall continue to maintain simple, uniform pricing across the country, and this adjustment ensures we can uphold our commitment to drive electric vehicle (EV) adoption and the future of electric mobility,” said Electrify America in its statement.
EA currently has around 800 public DC fast-charging stations in the United States, with roughly 3,500 individual EV chargers spread across the country.
Read the full article here