EA charging stations at Costco

[Stu Kan]

In case others have not noticed this: I recently charged up at the EA-Pleasanton, CA and assumed the charging cost was covered by Porsche for the first year like other EA stations at Walmart, Target, etc. But the cost for this one stood out on my history in the Porsche app. I called EA and they said that as of June 12th, Costco EA charging stations aren't covered.

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[Gino]

In case others have not noticed this: I recently charged up at the EA-Pleasanton, CA and assumed the charging cost was covered by Porsche for the first year like other EA stations at Walmart, Target, etc. But the cost for this one stood out on my history in the Porsche app. I called EA and they said that as of June 12th, Costco EA charging stations aren't covered.

I’m so happy my 3 year free 30 minute charging plan is expired and I no longer have to bother with EA and their “EV highway robbery” business model.
They have some of the most ridiculous pricing in the industry that makes the cost per mile roughly the same as owning an ICE vehicle, even gas hogs like my Hummer H2 with 6L V8.
EA typically charges 64 cents/kwh which is over $6/gallon equivalent to gas so they obviously can’t help themselves but to squeeze every penny out of every customer that doesn’t realize they are being taken advantage of after their free charging which came with their vehicle has expired.
Great strategy for EA to get EV manufacturers to pay EA for charging at a discounted yet profitable cost as a portion of each EV sale knowing that when the free charging ends these unsuspecting EV drivers will likely continue to charge at EA and pay their highway robbery rates instead of shopping around. I stopped using EA the day after my free charging plan expired & I’m happy to never have to use them again. The only way I will is if the cost per kWh can compete with my charging rate at home of 25 cents per kWh.
I do expect Walmart, Sam’s Club & Costco to enter the EV charging business at peak rates below 49 cents per kWh which Tesla charges across the country. I expect these companies who are good at selling gas/diesel will find the sweet spot for EV charging in the 38 cents to 42 cents per kWh to undercut Tesla as well as offer EV charging rates which will be a better deal than buying gas on a cost/mile basis. I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay over $6/gallon equivalent to charge my Taycan at EA in Southern California when it only costs me $3.75/gallon to fill up my H2 at Costco or Sam’s Club.
When I drive to Utah to go skiing every winter it only costs me $2.50 to $3.10 per gallon to fill up my H2 which is cheaper to drive than just about every EV on the planet when you are paying 64 cents a kWh at EA.
For many premium EV owners they simply don’t care if they are paying more per mile than an ice vehicle because it’s all about convenience but there are also people who have EVs but haven’t thought about how they are paying extorted rates for energy for the privilege of driving an EV. I feel sorry for EV owners which can’t take advantage of charging at home using very low energy rates and instead have no choice but to use the EV charging network thieves which in some cases charge up to $1 per kWh plus a connection fee. EA and other EV charging services will happily get away with this until enough people actually expect them to compete for their business.

 

[snstevens]

@Gino - I think you're overlooking the fact that for a single monthly fee of $7 at EA you get a 25% discount on charging rate, regardless of the rate. So the $0.48 - $0.64 rate they quote as the "Standard Plan" could in fact go to $0.36 - $0.48 with the Subscription Plan.

At ~3 miles of range per kWh, 27 miles of range can be had for 9 kWh or a cost of $3.24 at the subscription rate of $0.36, and $4.32 at the subscription rate of $0.48. Many ICE drivers with a hybrid engine get ~27 miles/gallon, so IMO this is a reasonable reference point to compare the cost of a gallon of gas.

Based on my checks, the cost of a gallon of gas in the LA area for mid-grade and premium gasoline average around $4.77 and $4.94 per gallon, respectively. If that is the case then an EA Subscription plan customer is paying quite a bit less for the same 27 miles of range. At the highest EA rate of $0.64 (discounted to $0.48) there is still a savings of $0.45 to $0.62 for that 27 miles of range.

We are in agreement though that charging at home is always the cheapest and best way to go.

 

[Gino]

@Gino - I think you're overlooking the fact that for a single monthly fee of $7 at EA you get a 25% discount on charging rate, regardless of the rate. So the $0.48 - $0.64 rate they quote as the "Standard Plan" could in fact go to $0.36 - $0.48 with the Subscription Plan.

At ~3 miles of range per kWh, 27 miles of range can be had for 9 kWh or a cost of $3.24 at the subscription rate of $0.36, and $4.32 at the subscription rate of $0.48. Many ICE drivers with a hybrid engine get ~27 miles/gallon, so IMO this is a reasonable reference point to compare the cost of a gallon of gas.

Based on my checks, the cost of a gallon of gas in the LA area for mid-grade and premium gasoline average around $4.77 and $4.94 per gallon, respectively. If that is the case then an EA Subscription plan customer is paying quite a bit less for the same 27 miles of range. At the highest EA rate of $0.64 (discounted to $0.48) there is still a savings of $0.45 to $0.62 for that 27 miles of range.

We are in agreement though that charging at home is always the cheapest and best way to go.

You are quite right for people who drive a lot the paid EA membership is worth it but unless you drive an ICE vehicle with a high performance engine it is completely a waist of money buying mid grade or premium fuel. Most ICE vehicles today are designed for regular. The only time you may need higher octane gas is if your engine begins to knock. I haven’t used anything but regular for decades with zero issues so I pay less than $4 for regular gas in LA but I can’t justify paying the EA premium plan since I only drive any of my 6 vehicles more than $4K miles per year. The total miles I drive all my vehicles is less than 10K, partly because I fly 50-70% of the year where I drive ICE car rentals.
I fill up my 5 other ICE vehicles no more than once every 6 weeks on average since each vehicle has it’s own specific purpose.
At least Tesla’s charge rate is 49 cents with no monthly fee which is 25% less than EA’s no charge plan which is why I usually prefer getting a Tesla from AVIS when they offer me an EV.
Plus, when I drive my gas guzzlers, it’s usually out of state like Utah & Nevada where gas is less than $3/gallon but EA still charges 64 cents per gallon.
For me the economics don’t make sense.
Just because I can afford to keep 6 cars for their own specific purposes doesn’t mean I am willing to spend more than I have to for charging or for filling my tank with regular gas or diesel.
Everyone has to determine for themselves how much they’re willing to pay to charge or fill up or if they even care at all what they pay.
I’m an engineer which has been developing ultra high efficiency semiconductor manufacturing systems and devices so I can’t help pushing efficiency of every piece of equipment from my vehicles, to weapon systems to satellites so I can’t help but drive cost of ownership to the lowest it can be.
It doesn’t matter if I made billions I can’t help but calculate the lowest costs I can achieve. Everything is an exercise in engineering efficiency…
Thanks for all your inputs…

 

[ejcintr]

In case others have not noticed this: I recently charged up at the EA-Pleasanton, CA and assumed the charging cost was covered by Porsche for the first year like other EA stations at Walmart, Target, etc. But the cost for this one stood out on my history in the Porsche app. I called EA and they said that as of June 12th, Costco EA charging stations aren't covered.

I live by that Costco... dont even think they are EA chargers anymore... all Electrify America signage has been removed from the chargers and replaced with Costco.

 

[MoniqueDenver]

Gino, besides Tesla, where are you seeing cheaper rates than EA? I live in Denver, bought my Taycan in January, and have driven it from NJ-CO, CO-UT and CO-NM-AZ.

The first two trips were during polar vortex blizzards, respectfully, and I wasn't optimizing for cost, but they did far exceed and ICE vehicle. The last one I optimized for stopping time, it took me as long to drive it to my destinations as it would have an ICE. I had fair weather and I haven't had a chance to go back and look at cost

I charge it home, so my overall operating costs are well below that of an ICE (including fuel). I do find to out west the EA chargers are very convenient and often my only option, but my next trip I'm considering optimizing for cost assuming I don't have to go too far out of my way. Usually cost of money comes at it "cost" of time.

I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but I am looking forward to Walmart's roll out. Prior to owning my EV, I set foot in a Walmart twice, , after I go into them every time I have a road trip. I just wish they had a decent /healthy restaurant option.

 

[Stu Kan]

I live by that Costco... dont even think they are EA chargers anymore... all Electrify America signage has been removed from the chargers and replaced with Costco.

The EA support rep I talked with (and he was able to see my session ID from the day I was there) did say that Costco owns those chargers...

 

[daveo4EV]

it's been my long standing perspective on fast charging that you're not paying for "power/kwh's" - you're paying for time…

• a operational DCfast charger can achieve in 30 min (or less) what takes 7-10 hours with L2 chargers
• it's like eating out - you pay more for eating away from home vs. eating at home

the cost of DCFast charging melts away into insignificance for me personally when I properly value 8-10 hours of my time…at least it does for me.

my $0.02 YMMV

 

[Flying ace]

More importantly, did you notice the station was less crowded?

 

[Flying ace]

it's been my long standing perspective on fast charging that you're not paying for "power/kwh's" - you're paying for time…

• a operational DCfast charger can achieve in 30 min (or less) what takes 7-10 hours with L2 chargers
• it's like eating out - you pay more for eating away from home vs. eating at home

the cost of DCFast charging melts away into insignificance for me personally when I properly value 8-10 hours of my time…at least it does for me.

my $0.02 YMMV

Same sentiment here. I'd like to see CPO assess pricing based on charger speed. Imagine a world where drivers can prioritize speed vs cost. Bolt owners, diners and shoppers at retail complexes will be happy on a 50kw unit that takes 1 hr + , and those in a hurry on a road trip can pay up for a 350+ speed to charge, restroom break in 20 mins

 

[Stu Kan]

More importantly, did you notice the station was less crowded?

It was the largest EA site I've been to (at least 10 charging stations) so, yes, I didn't have to wait, but that's a lot of chargers for EA!

 

[Flying ace]

It was the largest EA site I've been too (at least 10 charging stations) so, yes, I didn't have to wait, but that's a lot of chargers for EA!

these costco locations are still relatively new to people. I charged at a Costco on the outskirts of Sacramento about 1 month after opening, and only 1/4th of the stalls were occupied. Coupled with proper functioning 350kw units, the turnover was fast.
https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...ancisco-to-north-lake-tahoe.23635/post-373867


Last week, I drove by a more densely populated Costco site and it was also less than 50% occupied. But this is after the aforementioned de-coupling of manufacturer charging plans, which I presume also affected Kias, BMWs, etc. Looking at Plugshare reviews, it was a crowded site prior to this fee change.

IMO, these Costco locations will now be the "premium" units for those of us in a hurry and in need of a true 15-20 min stop. I see it as paying for convenience of plug and charge, high speeds and no wait, totally worth $0.50 per kw

I also started paying to charge at BP Pulse on their awesome Alpitronic units. https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...-drive-event-in-bay-area-ca.16670/post-404615

 

[Tooney]

Some people are never satisfied.
2023: https://www.taycanforum.com/forum/t...-experience-by-out-of-spec.17025/#post-261684
2025: A sixth Porsche Charging Lounge opens in Leonberg near Stuttgart

 

[Flying ace]

Just read the notice on EA's app. Even EA's pricing plans are excluded. Price is solely set by Costco, my local site costs $0.59 at the moment.

 

[Gino]

Gino, besides Tesla, where are you seeing cheaper rates than EA? I live in Denver, bought my Taycan in January, and have driven it from NJ-CO, CO-UT and CO-NM-AZ.

The first two trips were during polar vortex blizzards, respectfully, and I wasn't optimizing for cost, but they did far exceed and ICE vehicle. The last one I optimized for stopping time, it took me as long to drive it to my destinations as it would have an ICE. I had fair weather and I haven't had a chance to go back and look at cost

I charge it home, so my overall operating costs are well below that of an ICE (including fuel). I do find to out west the EA chargers are very convenient and often my only option, but my next trip I'm considering optimizing for cost assuming I don't have to go too far out of my way. Usually cost of money comes at it "cost" of time.

I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but I am looking forward to Walmart's roll out. Prior to owning my EV, I set foot in a Walmart twice, , after I go into them every time I have a road trip. I just wish they had a decent /healthy restaurant option.

I’ve gone on Chargepoint, EVgo, ChargeHub & Plug Share looking for cheaper charging rates along my route from Orange County, CA to Las Vegas.
Now that there are more charging options the competition is driving some of the stations to compete with Tesla pricing so some are offering roughly the same rate during prime time or a little less if you avoid peak periods.
The Tesla stations in Barstow & Baker have so many stations it’s hard to count so there is never a line even at 48 cents/kwh. Tesla has over 150 chargers between these two locations so the EA chargers right next to these are at 64 cents/kwh and are always full at peak times so they have no reason to drop their price but at other stations which were as much as 99 cents/kWh with a $1 connection charge are now offering rates as low as 28 cents/kwh for off peak periods like Midnight to 6am.
This is what I expected would happen as more charging infrastructure appears. In the first year I charged my Taycan at these same EA stations it was 64 cents/kWh 24/7 but in the last year they have lower charge rates based on the time of day.
They will all want to maximize their profits eventually for these fast chargers which only take 30-45 minutes to charge from empty to full at EA or Tesla.
I believe now that many EV makers are no longer giving free unlimited charging with their EV purchases that the EA chargers won’t be as busy with EVs that aren’t paying.
Unfortunately for EA where time to charge is money lost EA loses money when a Chevy Bolt takes 2 hours of free charging on a 350 kwh DC Fast charger while Taycan’s wait or move to another charger which is not backed up with Chevy Bolts.
I fully expect EA and others to also start charging by the minute vs by the kWh for slow charging EVs.
It’s only going to get better the more charging infrastructure expands so the prices will come down as Costco, Sam’s Club/Walmart all jump in with both feet.
One EA station in LA at a high end shopping center has begun charging over $1/minute once charging is completed. When I was there I noticed a Bentley EV that was racking up these post charging fees. The woman came back after almost 2 hours of shopping with over $75 in overtime charges but obviously she didn’t care she was taking up a charging space. As far as she was concerned she was just paying $75 for a parking space.
I would love to see huge penalty fees per minute after a 10 minute grace period. In Newport Beach an Uber driver was sleeping in his car for over 5 hours after his Mustang Mach-E had finished charging. I woke him up to let him know he should move to one of the empty spaces just a few yards away since he was racking up huge per minute charges which he was unaware of. Not a very bright guy but I’m sure he won’t do that again…

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