EVgo, a U.S. network of public electric vehicle (EV) DC fast-charging stations, has announced simplified and lower prices, effective immediately.
The new pricing includes two options: a Pay As You Go rate, with a low per-minute rate and no additional session fees, and a $9.99/month Membership option, providing EVgo’s lowest per-minute rate. Moreover, charging session time limits have been extended to accommodate new longer-range EVs.
“The growth rate in the EV sector has been truly explosive over the last year, and EVgo is pleased to help accelerate EV adoption with a lower-cost charging plan for our customers,” says Cathy Zoi, CEO of EVgo.
According to the company, in 2017, EV sales in the U.S. were up 26%, and in that same time period, EVgo’s energy delivered across its network increased by more than 80%.
EVgo’s new pricing will vary by region. Membership pricing is between $0.15 and $0.21 per minute, depending on the state, which is about as cheap or cheaper than the average gas-powered vehicle on a per-mile basis, the company claims.
In addition, the $9.99/month membership acts as a prepaid credit that is applied toward charging activity for that month. Members pay between $0.18 and $0.21 per minute depending on charger location, and through June 2018, EVgo will offer a promotional rate for chargers located in California of $0.15/minute for members. Additionally, members can charge for up to 60 minutes during off-peak hours (charges initiating between 8:00 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.) and 45 minutes during the daytime – a heavily requested feature from drivers of longer-range EVs such as the Chevrolet Bolt.
The company notes its Membership customers are not subject to any setup fees, flat session fees or termination fees. There are no contracts, and EVgo Members can cancel at any time. For drivers who charge more than once a month, the plan pays for itself, according to EVgo.
With the Pay As You Go rate, there is no monthly commitment and no session fee (which was a component of EVgo’s former Flex plan); customers only pay a per-minute rate of between $0.25 and $0.35, depending on state, and through June 2018, EVgo will offer a promotional rate for chargers located in California of $0.20/minute. Charging time has also been extended to 45 minutes at all times for Pay As You Go customers, as well.
Furthermore, EVgo has also simplified the sign-up process so that new customers can start charging within minutes. Registration for Pay As You Go or Membership is available at EVgo.com or with the EVgo app on iOS and Android. Customers can initiate a charge directly from the app with no RFID cards necessary.