EV Charging Points in America Are Finally Making Money

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Home charging economics and convenience

  • Many EV owners say home charging is a “game changer”: effectively a full tank every morning and no gas-station trips.
  • Reported home-charging costs: roughly $25–$40/month in several US states, ~£36/month in the UK, often 2.5–4x cheaper per mile than gasoline or diesel.
  • Several detailed back-of-envelope calculations put typical home-charging costs around $0.03–$0.04 per mile vs. $0.07–$0.12 for comparable ICE cars.
  • Solar owners report near-zero marginal cost for driving.
  • Some note electricity and gas price volatility; long-term relative advantage of electricity is viewed as uncertain but likely favorable.

Public fast charging prices and profitability

  • Complaints that DC fast charging at ~$0.64/kWh can make EV “fuel” as expensive as, or more than, gasoline—especially where home charging isn’t possible.
  • Some argue climate goals justify keeping charging unprofitable for years via subsidies; others say private operators need a path to profit or stations won’t be built or maintained.
  • Fast charging is often framed as “luxury fuel” or a road-trip convenience; critics counter that for many drivers without home charging it is a necessity, not a luxury.

Connector standards and Tesla’s role

  • Discussion notes the industry shift to Tesla’s NACS plug, though actual non-Tesla NACS vehicles and chargers are still emerging.
  • Expectation of an awkward transition period with adapters and mixed networks, but many believe the pain will be limited and temporary.
  • Tesla’s Supercharger network is widely praised for lower build cost and higher reliability than rivals.

Access, renters, and infrastructure gaps

  • Strong disagreement with the claim that “nearly everyone can charge at home.”
  • Large cohorts in apartments, cities, or with street parking lack practical home charging; this is seen as a major barrier to “mainstream” EV adoption.
  • Ideas floated: workplace and destination L2 charging, utility-pole chargers, apartment parking retrofits, and better slow-charger coverage where cars already sit.

Subsidies, taxation, and climate framing

  • Some want cheap, subsidized charging funded by higher gas taxes; others oppose subsidies or taxes in general, arguing against state-led solutions.
  • Debate over whether EVs alone can solve climate change vs. needing deeper changes (e.g., less car dependence, public transit, even questioning industrial civilization).
  • Several stress that for mass adoption, EVs must remain clearly better—cheaper, more convenient, and more reliable—than ICE, not merely equivalent.