In many states, up until now, the Electrify America network has been an outlier.
In states where electric vehicle drivers are accustomed to being billed by the kilowatt-hour—for the energy they put into the vehicle—EA has been billing based on the duration of their charging session.
As of today, September 16, the company is changing the way it does business, with revamped pricing that allows customers to be billed by the kilowatt-hour wherever it’s permitted—in 23 states plus the District of Columbia.
Electrify America revamped pricing by kwh in some states. - September 2020
The states getting new kwh-based pricing (in the above map) are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.
In this first major change to its pricing since May 2019, the company has eliminated all session fees as well, although those who keep the car connected after the charging session has ended will still be billed for idle fees starting 10 minutes after the charge.
According to Electrify America, more than 78% of the charging on its cross-country network takes place where the new pricing will be implemented.
Rates now start at 31 cents per kwh—regardless of the rate of charge, or the state—for those who pay a $4.00 monthly membership fee. Those who don’t pay the monthly fee will be charged 43 cents per kwh.
Electrify America hardware with CCS and CHAdeMO - Hood River, Oregon - July 2020
The per-kwh billing could make consumers more conscious of how much they’re paying on the go. And the cost of electricity varies widely by state and even by utility. In much of New England, the average cost per kwh is near or beyond 20 cents, while in Louisiana and Washington state, it’s less than 10 cents. For those people, charging at home will cost one-third of what it would be on EA’s network.
For those who still pay by the minute, Electrify America is introducing two charging tiers replacing the previous three tiers. Power Level One is for vehicles with a peak charging rate up to 90 kw, while Power Level Two is for those charging beyond that and up to 350 kw. The respective per-minute rates for those are 12 cents and 24 cents per minute.
Is this more advantageous to you? If you use Electrify America’s network, let us know what you think in your comments below.