Electric vehicles are quiet, climate-friendly, and offer plenty of driving pleasure. However, there is still significant room for improvement in pricing for electricity at public charging points. A case from last fall illustrates this: While the cheapest provider charged only 45 cents per kilowatt-hour, the highest price reached nearly an astounding €1.37. In a self-check with a Tesla M3, with a consumption of around 16 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, this meant electricity costs between €7.20 and €21.90 for those 100 kilometers. Charging at work or at a private wallbox was more affordable.
According to a study by Cirrantic and Theon Data for the trade magazine Edison, the average price for one kilowatt-hour of DC fast charging in October 2024 was 87 cents, nearly double the price since 2020. Besides the operational costs, roaming fees are a major factor driving up prices. Large providers often charge high fees to customers from other networks while offering cheaper rates to their regular, often contract-bound, customers.
At the same time, offering lower prices for all customers presents new opportunities for providers, with customer acquisition and retention being crucial. The Schwarz Group, for example, has recognized this and reduced prices for its public charging points at Lidl and Kaufland supermarket parking lots. Users of the respective free apps pay a steady 44 cents per kilowatt-hour for DC fast-charging points, with HPC stations (from 150 kilowatts) priced at 47 cents. Competitor Aldi Süd offers the same prices at its fast-charging stations when paying with debit or credit cards and even goes further by offering 29 cents per kilowatt-hour for AC wallbox charging locations. As a result, many e-mobilists are flocking there to charge and shop.
Similarly, some utilities have recognized the value of electric mobility for their communities and offer attractive prices. For instance, in Baden-Württemberg (Germany), at the local office of Power2Drive Europe, the utility in Pforzheim charges only 39 cents per kilowatt-hour for charging.
Another issue is the lack of transparency regarding prices at public charging points. This has been addressed by the European legislator with the 2024 AFIR (Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation). The regulation mandates that new publicly accessible charging stations must allow payment via cash or credit card and clearly display the price per kilowatt-hour – similar to how fuel prices have been displayed at gas stations for decades.
(Disclaimer: All prices are supplied without liability)
