Hey all, I’m trying to get a clear answer on this.
As far as I know, most states now allow reselling electricity by the kWh, but in the EA app, I still see info on pricing by kWh vs. by the minute. All the stations near me charge per kWh, and I can’t find any in the app that explicitly say they charge by the minute. So, does anyone know of any stations in their area that are still doing per-minute pricing?
Honestly, I wish they would charge by the minute! It would discourage people from sitting at the charger once they’re over 80%.
Peggy said:
Honestly, I wish they would charge by the minute! It would discourage people from sitting at the charger once they’re over 80%.
There’s nothing wrong with charging past 80%. If waiting is that annoying, maybe home charging would be better for you.
Why would anyone want to be charged by the minute? You’d end up paying the same rate whether you’re charging fast or slow. The last 20% always takes longer, so per-minute pricing would just make that more expensive. 
@Imani
Speaking from experience here in Wisconsin, I drive an Ioniq 5 and rarely charge past 80% at EA stations. My charging costs jumped from under $10 to $40+ per session when they switched from per-minute to per-kWh pricing. I have free EA charging, so it doesn’t impact me now, but it definitely cost me less before.
@Imani
In Wisconsin, it used to be that only electric companies could sell electricity per kWh, so stations had to charge per minute. I think they changed it to qualify for federal funding for more stations.
@kwame
Right, I think that’s required for NEVI funding too.
@Imani
I’m not pushing for it to return! I just found the info in the app confusing because it mentions per-minute pricing, but I couldn’t find any stations still using it. With the law changes in most states, I was curious if any stations were still doing it.
@Imani
If you have a fast-charging car, finding a per-minute EA station used to be a lot cheaper—as long as you stop around 80-85% when the charging curve drops.
On a recent road trip, I think the stations in Idaho were still charging by the minute.
Christopher said:
On a recent road trip, I think the stations in Idaho were still charging by the minute.
That might have changed. Last I checked, they’re showing per kWh now.
Christopher said:
On a recent road trip, I think the stations in Idaho were still charging by the minute.
That might have changed. Last I checked, they’re showing per kWh now.
My bad, I should’ve mentioned the timing—it was back in July 2024.
EA sent an email recently saying they’re phasing out time-based rates and switching to kWh-based pricing everywhere.
I guess a few states haven’t fully transitioned yet.
I think they switched the last per-minute stations around Labor Day this year. That’s when the ones I watch in the Northeast, South Dakota, and Wisconsin made the change.
martin said:
I think they switched the last per-minute stations around Labor Day this year. That’s when the ones I watch in the Northeast, South Dakota, and Wisconsin made the change.
Good to know, thanks!
Charging by the minute wasn’t great for people with slower-charging cars like the Leaf or Bolt. Those drivers are often in shared housing where home charging isn’t an option, so it wasn’t fair to them.
@zendaya
True, but it was super affordable for my EV6 while it lasted—made up for the times I charged my Bolt by the minute!
Kenneth said:
@zendaya
True, but it was super affordable for my EV6 while it lasted—made up for the times I charged my Bolt by the minute!
If you have both an EV6 and a Bolt, then you’re probably doing just fine. My comment was more for those who don’t have the luxury of multiple EVs.
EA sent out an email saying they’re phasing out time-based pricing in favor of kWh rates. A few states still haven’t made the switch yet, though.
izael said:
EA sent out an email saying they’re phasing out time-based pricing in favor of kWh rates. A few states still haven’t made the switch yet, though.
Thanks for confirming!