Electrify America Overpriced?

[ahmedsy76]

Greetings,

Just charged my new 2024 Lucid Air Touring at Electrify America and was charged $50 for it. This is how much I pay to fill up the gas tank in my Infiniti. What's the point getting an EV if 85% charge will cost $50. The Lucid app says I have 12 months of complimentary charge, but I still had to pay. Now, Lucid is telling me they do not offer the complimentary charge anymore and the app needs to be updated to remove it.

Question, why would it cost $50 to charge at Electrify America when my fried pays $15 to charge a Tesla? What's the point of getting an EV?

 

[SaratogaLefty]

Not sure where you are located but around here (Bay Area) EA rates are high (as is PG&E) but I believe the Tesla rates are very similar.

 

[kort6776]

on the east coast EA went to .56 per kwh.
here in FLA there are less costly options like the FPL network which is around .30 per kwh

 

[Unmutual]

I think EA is overpriced, at last where I live outside of Seattle. 56 cents per kWh at EA when my residential rate is around 12 cents. To the OP's question, though, it costs me around $12 to charge 100 kWh at home. If you can't charge at home, you are going to pay lots of money.

 

[HC_79]

Greetings,

Just charged my new 2024 Lucid Air Touring at Electrify America and was charged $50 for it. This is how much I pay to fill up the gas tank in my Infiniti. What's the point getting an EV if 85% charge will cost $50. The Lucid app says I have 12 months of complimentary charge, but I still had to pay. Now, Lucid is telling me they do not offer the complimentary charge anymore and the app needs to be updated to remove it.

Question, why would it cost $50 to charge at Electrify America when my fried pays $15 to charge a Tesla? What's the point of getting an EV?

EA prices vary depending on where you are. It’s 0.64c per kW near me but then a charger further down the road is 0.56c per kW.

Tesla Superchargers follow a similar process. They also do price fluctuations based on where they are. The one I just looked up in CA is 0.53c per kW. DCFC’s are not meant to be your sole source of charging. Charge at home and you could pay potentially $15 or under.

 

[HC_79]

Also, you’re not comparing apples to apples due to both cars having different battery capacity also.

 

[stratus]

Greetings,

Just charged my new 2024 Lucid Air Touring at Electrify America and was charged $50 for it. This is how much I pay to fill up the gas tank in my Infiniti. What's the point getting an EV if 85% charge will cost $50. The Lucid app says I have 12 months of complimentary charge, but I still had to pay. Now, Lucid is telling me they do not offer the complimentary charge anymore and the app needs to be updated to remove it.

Question, why would it cost $50 to charge at Electrify America when my fried pays $15 to charge a Tesla? What's the point of getting an EV?

What’s the point of getting an EV? I cannot imagine very many people get EVs to save money. Most people get them because they are a blast to drive and some people get them because EV technology may play a role in reducing emissions.

Perhaps you should do a cost analysis with other factors in mind, including other maintenance issues.

 

[Amster]

What’s the point of getting an EV? I cannot imagine very many people get EVs to save money. Most people get them because they are a blast to drive and some people get them because EV technology may play a role in reducing emissions.

Perhaps you should do a cost analysis with other factors in mind, including other maintenance issues.

Some do, I think it depends on the EV. My sister got her Bolt to save money. But she only charges it at home, which is cheaper than gas in San Diego. That's a different class of vehicle and Chevy never had free public charging for those. I definitely got mine because it's incredibly fun to drive. The free charging I got with it is a bonus.

 

[DeaneG]

DC fast chargers are there to allow road tripping. They won't be the cheapest or most time-effective way to charge. For that, you'll want to install a charging station at your home and charge while you sleep.

By the way, if you pay $7 for a month of EA's Pass+ membership, it'll typically pay for itself on the first charge. With our other EV, I pay for Pass+ for the month I'm doing a road trip, then cancel it when I get back home.

Pricing and Plans for EV Charging | Electrify America

Electrify America aims to keep prices low while providing more electric vehicle chargers, with faster speeds, in better locations across the U.S. Learn about our pricing.

www.electrifyamerica.com

 

[Andretex]

Greetings,

Just charged my new 2024 Lucid Air Touring at Electrify America and was charged $50 for it. This is how much I pay to fill up the gas tank in my Infiniti. What's the point getting an EV if 85% charge will cost $50. The Lucid app says I have 12 months of complimentary charge, but I still had to pay. Now, Lucid is telling me they do not offer the complimentary charge anymore and the app needs to be updated to remove it.

Question, why would it cost $50 to charge at Electrify America when my fried pays $15 to charge a Tesla? What's the point of getting an EV?

When Incharge at home it costs $0.16 per KW or about $10 dollars a charge (10% to 80%). EA is there for road trips or emergencies. It would not make sense to pay EA for all your charging.

 

[Pwmac]

I would agree that EA prices seem high and only makes sense to use on road trips. In AZ SRP has an EV plan where's it's less than $.08 per kWh to charge at night so is very affordable compared to gas

 

[DeaneG]

I would agree that EA prices seem high and only makes sense to use on road trips. In AZ SRP has an EV plan where's it's less than $.08 per kWh to charge at night so is very affordable compared to gas

The same for you as driving a 200mpg, 800 horsepower car.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

I believe EA prices are very reasonable. Only looking at raw KW cost is flawed economics. Like a restaurant only looking at its raw food costs.

The cost of a 350 kw DC charger per pedestal is about $100k, installing is $40k to 150,000. Plus site acquisition, rent, insurance, back end servers, support staff, and administration, and maintenance. And RISK. Plus at $8k a pop when a moron cuts the cable. These sites don't make a profit until utilization is 15% over 24/7.

You are paying for convenience, pure and simple. On a trip, when away from home. Perfect. I am fine with that. Ten times raw KW cost for high speed DC chargers spaced around the interstate system seems very good value. Starbucks is 20 times food cost and that fountain Coke is even higher.

 

[Taz K]

$0.65/kwh at EA around me in SoCal. $4.49/gal for premium gas at my nearest Costco.

I think the EA costs are reasonable when traveling for dc fast charging.

 

[SaratogaLefty]

Interesting statistics Beagle about the cost of an EA station. There are two local 350 stations in my area and they are almost always busy. Even very early in the morning or late in the evening. However, my observation is most of the cars there are using the "free" feature they were given when they bought their EV's. So now I'm wondering how the stations will survive once all the free charging is over. These two locations aren't really located where road trippers would seek them out; more about the local folks.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Great questions Lefty. I am purely guessing, but I think all the free charging has had unintended consequences. I read that Tesla did it at first to overcome buyers resistance due to range anxiety when traveling. But no one expected it would be used by so many for primary charging around home.

 

[hydbob]

Great questions Lefty. I am purely guessing, but I think all the free charging has had unintended consequences. I read that Tesla did it at first to overcome buyers resistance due to range anxiety when traveling. But no one expected it would be used by so many for primary charging around home.

Haha, whoever thought that was very naive. Free is free and humans are greedy hy nature.

 

[larrycpa]

Some municipalities have used Federal and State grants to install DC Fast chargers. They run around 50% of the cost of EA, due to no taxes and no profit. Also gives you some time to visit new towns.
On a road trip I don't mind paying the gas equivalent for the speed and convenience.

 

[APSenec]

I believe EA prices are very reasonable. Only looking at raw KW cost is flawed economics. Like a restaurant only looking at its raw food costs.

The cost of a 350 kw DC charger per pedestal is about $100k, installing is $40k to 150,000. Plus site acquisition, rent, insurance, back end servers, support staff, and administration, and maintenance. And RISK. Plus at $8k a pop when a moron cuts the cable. These sites don't make a profit until utilization is 15% over 24/7.

You are paying for convenience, pure and simple. On a trip, when away from home. Perfect. I am fine with that. Ten times raw KW cost for high speed DC chargers spaced around the interstate system seems very good value. Starbucks is 20 times food cost and that fountain Coke is even higher.

15% of what? Theoretical max Kwh delivered in24 hrs?

 

[Unmutual]

I believe EA prices are very reasonable. Only looking at raw KW cost is flawed economics. Like a restaurant only looking at its raw food costs.

The cost of a 350 kw DC charger per pedestal is about $100k, installing is $40k to 150,000. Plus site acquisition, rent, insurance, back end servers, support staff, and administration, and maintenance. And RISK. Plus at $8k a pop when a moron cuts the cable. These sites don't make a profit until utilization is 15% over 24/7.

You are paying for convenience, pure and simple. On a trip, when away from home. Perfect. I am fine with that. Ten times raw KW cost for high speed DC chargers spaced around the interstate system seems very good value. Starbucks is 20 times food cost and that fountain Coke is even higher.

150 kW charger on the outskirts of a Walmart parking lot isn't exactly the equivalent of Le Cirque ....