Electric Vehicle Charging Station Economics Calculator

The interactive calculator helps analyze the economics of a charging station to determine the potential costs and revenues in a given scenario. It allows users to set utility rates for energy and demand charges, then experiment with customer pricing and utilization variables. It also provides options for considering additional revenue streams and operating costs to generate a holistic analysis for any charging station scenario. By adjusting pricing options and daily utilization levels, users can explore how different variables affect charging station economics and the business decisions they can make to achieve their intended outcomes. 

 


Getting started

  • On the Charger tab, set the number of charging sessions and kilowatt hours per session that might occur at the station each day. The default station power level is 150 kilowatts (kW), which is typical for direct current fast chargers (DCFCs). To estimate economics for Level 2 chargers, set the station power level to a lower value, such as 7 kW.
  • On the User Fees tab, adjust the connection fee and choose between charging per kilowatt-hour or per minute. Adjust the defaults as needed.
    • If there is additional revenue per visit, such as food or beverage purchases, enter those under “Secondary Retail Benefits.”
  • On the Utility Rates tab, adjust electricity rates and demand charges for both summer and winter. Add a fixed charge if one exists and adjust the number of months for summer and winter as needed.
  • On the Fixed Costs tab, adjust defaults for annual costs, state taxes and fees, and capital costs as needed.
    • The results will display in real-time to the right of the calculator.
    • The Income and Costs show the impact that the number of charging sessions per day has on station revenue.
    • Examine the role that each type of cost (i.e., demand charge, energy charge, fixed costs) plays in the economic performance of an EV charger in Cost Components in the results. Increasing the station power level (kW) input will increase the share of demand charges quite rapidly.
    • The Break-even tab shows what the electric rates and demand charges must be to break even or generate a profit based on the user’s inputs.

Download the user manual for additional assistance →