Evie Networks has emailed customers advising that charging costs will vary depending on the time of day the electric car is being charged. The off-peak prices will be 15% cheaper which will make significant difference to the runnings costs for fleets and households.
This pricing is only a trial at selected charging stations and starts on 29th April 2024. It appears Evie are trying to balance demand by encouraging drivers to charge during the quieter periods at some of the busier locations by offering a discount.
Peak and off-peak rates for electricity are an established concept for energy use at home with smart meters allowing households to vary usage patterns to reduce their electricity bills. For EV owners with solar panels, charging during the day for free is one of the main benefits and provides zero cost transportation as well as zero tailpipe emissions.
Fleet Managers have little to zero control over pump prices which fluctuate on a regular cycle and rise, or fall, based on global events. So the opportunity to reduce fleet operational costs by purchasing petrol or diesel at the bottom of the price cycle is almost impossible to achieve.
Electricity pricing is traditionally more stable for consumers and businesses despite the fluctuations in wholesale electricity prices across the states each hour. This benefits fleets with access to internal charging infrastructure because they can budget based on annual or long term electricity price contracts.
Charging at public networks for fleets is increasing in popularity as more EVs hit the road. Prices do vary based on the provider and charging speed but overall are stable which is great for fleet budgeting purposes.
With the new time-of-day charging being implemented by Evie Networks, Fleet Managers have the opportunity to reduce operational costs by working with their drivers to recharge during the off-peak period between 9pm and 10am. Achieving a 15% savings on energy costs would give proactive Fleet Managers something to include in their monthly fleet reporting.
The new rates are:
- The Off-Peak Pricing window is between 9 pm – 10 am at 53c/kWh
- The Busy window is between 10 am – 9 pm at 63c/kWh
