Thoughts on charging subscriptions?

Discussion in 'General' started by driveelectricev, Oct 26, 2021.

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How much would you pay per month for an unlimited, charging subscription?

  1. Over $30

    2 vote(s)
    40.0%
  2. Under $30

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. Free

    3 vote(s)
    60.0%
  1. driveelectricev

    driveelectricev New Member

    Hey all - I drive a leaf in Hawaii where everything is pretty close to each other. Also have an L2 at home.

    But for you all on the mainland, what are your thoughts on charging subscriptions? I know there are a few subscription services around but what makes them worth it or not worth it? (Infrastructure level, monthly pricing, reliability, etc
     
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  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    This is a hard problem for me. We live in a private home with an L2 EVSE. But thinking back to when we were renters, I don't see a subscription being better than a fee-per-charge. A yearly maintenance fee might make sense just like they did when credit cards had an annual fee ... and still high interest rates.

    Comparing available services:
    • ChargePoint - no annual fee with per-charge set with property owner. So Whole Foods has free ChargePoint EVSE but others have variable fees.
    • Blink, EVgo, Electrify America - annual fee can lead to lower charge rates. Not terribly attractive.
    • SuperCharger - purchase Tesla and no annual fee or discounts.
    I'll click "Free".

    Bob Wilson
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2021
  4. I live in Canada, and charge at a third party EVSE in my building (pay per hour). It's a different metric than someone who charges at home in their garage (pays via electricity bill). I would pay for a monthly subscription for the EVSE that's in my building, but I wouldn't pay for one anywhere else. Extreme convenience is most important, since I presume you're talking about an L2 EVSE.
     
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  5. SouthernDude

    SouthernDude Active Member

    They make sense because they provide additional funding to help build the network out more. Early adopters - especially enthusiasts - should support them and get subscriptions. The payment structures will change once charging infrastructure is more ubiquitous.
     
  6. gooki

    gooki Well-Known Member

    No. Subscriptions just complicate a very simple process.

    My car takes kWh, you supply kWh, charge everyone by kWh. You know just like gas.

    The subscription system (EA) is mostly so OEMs can make their cars look more appealing by giving it away for a year or two. But in the end it just causes more buyer confusion and has no effect on network expansion.
     
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  8. marshall

    marshall Well-Known Member

    For a subscription service to be attractive, (1) it has to be convenient, such as work or apartment, (2) it has to be reliable, (3) it has to have cost parity or lower with gas/diesel, (4) having a plug and charge agreement with other networks would be helpful too.

    For me personally, it wouldn't currently be attractive since I charge at home.
     
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  9. SouthernDude

    SouthernDude Active Member

    Subscriptions don't necessarily complicate the process. As long as a card reader is present it's fine.

    I have no clue why you assume that subscriptions don't help with network expansion. It is a form of steady, predictable revenue that isn't dependent on usage. There is probably a huge number of people who pay more with subscriptions than they otherwise would have through charging alone. Of course this helps. Enthusiasts should be paying for these anyways if they want to see wider adoption.
     
  10. gooki

    gooki Well-Known Member

    Because it's pretty darn easy to predict and model charging revenue growth without a subscription.

    All chargers are internet connected so you instantly know usage patterns over time.

    Set the kWh rate between the lower subscription per kWh price, and the higher unsubscribe price and you make exactly the same revenue without needing two tired pricing models and the overhead and customer dissatisfaction that creates.

    We're trying to transition people of polluting cars to zero emissions. They don't have gas subscriptions today, so mentioning charging subscriptions is just another point of confusion that doesn't have to exist.
     
  11. SouthernDude

    SouthernDude Active Member

    There aren't enough EV drivers yet to adequately support the current and future infrastructure. The subscription model will go away once adoption increases. EVs are still in the early adoption phase. Like I said, enthusiasts and advocates should all just get a subscription just to support the development and maintenance of the infrastructure.
     
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  13. gooki

    gooki Well-Known Member

    And like I said you can generate the same revenue without the subscription model. So what's the real reason it exists?

    1. Network operators want to "lock" users into their network?

    2. Network operators can't do maths?

    3. Network operators who are also vehicle manufacturers want to provide charging incentives to new vehicle owners?

    4. Network operators genuinely believe EV owners want subscription service for charging?

    5. Network operators believe subscription service will increase charger utilization?

    Any other possibilities?
     
  14. SouthernDude

    SouthernDude Active Member

    yes, by making charging more expensive in general. lol Makes it less competitive with ICE. Why buy an EV if it costs the same to charge as it does to fuel up with gasoline? Doesn't make sense. The subscription model during the early adoption period helps with that. It means that early adopters would pay less overall.

    Not really a problem considering how many people have willfully locked themselves in Apple and Google's networks. Also, Tesla. lol

    It really isn't locking someone in unless they don't put a card reader on the physical equipment. The subscriptions should still be offered and EV enthusiasts should get one.

    No. Just you.

    This used to happen with Tesla (may still happen) and it happens with other manufacturers with EA.

    In the short term, it is necessary to generate revenue like this because so few people drive EVs. This will change over time. What happens currently with gasoline is irrelevant because it is a mature market. Once enough people drive EVs, this model will go away. You cannot expect the mature market model to be implemented when EVs are nowhere close to a mature market. Less than 5% of all new car sales in the US are EVs. The first modern EV light duty truck went into production less than a month ago.

    lol. No. The purpose is to get steady revenue that isn't dependent on usage. This isn't complicated.
     
  15. Subscriptions work in some cases, if they provide additional benefits. Eg Costco, you pay an annual fee to buy goods at lower prices. Other retailers (incl gas stations) offer loyalty programs (where they collect additional data about you) that give you deals, lower prices, rebates and other rewards. And if you pay for a premium membership, those benefits increase. Amazon Prime is another example.

    I can see why charging stations could do that as well. But there should be incentives and an advantage to the consumer.
     
  16. driveelectricev

    driveelectricev New Member

    Thank you everyone for the replies. Been recently getting ads from a company called EVCS (evcs.com) who offers an unlimited charging subscription with a 30-day free trial that you can cancel without paying. Seems pretty interesting and would love to get your thoughts.
     
  17. driveelectricev

    driveelectricev New Member


    Thank you, yes totally agree.
     
  18. SouthernDude

    SouthernDude Active Member

    If the majority of your regional travel is in their planned service area, I would subscribe. Virtually all of their chargers are on the West Coast. It looks like they have a lot planned in Oregon or it isn't on the Plugshare map. If there was a similar option available for my region, I would just get a subscription even though I don't have an EV yet.
     

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