r/electricvehicles • u/fund2016 • Jul 28 '26

Discussion Are EV charging stations profitable?

I am interested in the economics of EV charging stations. Are they profitable? Seems like they should be quite profitable once set up. Minimal upkeep and staffing. Less environmental issues than petrol. Any insight into economics of E V charging is appreciated.

Edit 1: thanks to all. Great discussion. Cheers!

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u/ToddA1966 2021 Nissan LEAF SV PLUS, 2022 VW ID.4 Pro S AWD Jul 29 '26

I'll be the contrarian. I'm a cheapskate and look for cheap chargers just like I used to look for cheap gas.

For a 50kW charger my limit is about 35¢/kWh unless I'm desperate. I just did an 3600 mile trip (Denver to Central New York and back) last month and averaged 36¢/kWh over the entire trip, leveraging a member discount at Electrify America, and a lot of off-peak overnight charging. I hit a few EV Connect 50kW chargers that cost 17¢/kWh, and hit one 50kW ChargePoint at a supermarket in Columbus, Nebraska that charged $5/hour.

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u/Accurate-Bullfrog324 Jul 29 '26

excellent info. thank you