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Drivers opening an EV charging app for the first time today will be presented with thousands of so-called \u201cpublic\u201d chargers at local car dealers. Once they arrive, however, the store\u2019s customers, store hours, security gates, and Wild West pricing can turn what should be a routine charging stop into a frustrating ordeal. For first-time EV drivers, that doesn\u2019t just reflect poorly on the dealer \u2013 it reflects poorly on the EV, itself. And we need to fix it.<\/p>\n
The EV industry has spent years counting up how many chargers it\u2019s put in the ground, but drivers experiences count for more, I think \u2013\u00a0and last week, Plug & Play EV\u2018s Steve Birkett took to LinkedIn to call out his local Hyundai dealer in Union<\/a>, NJ for charging a ridiculous $15 per kWh to top off his IONIQ 5 (!).<\/p>\n As bad as that was, Steve\u2019s frustration didn\u2019t end there. While he specifically mentions that Ford stores have been better than most<\/a>, he says that far too many dealers limit access to their charge ports in service of their inventory vehicles\u2019 and service customers\u2019 charging needs, the gates being closed outside of business hours, and generally underwhelming charging speeds were also called out as issues.<\/p>\n Even worse, he noted that a number of area dealerships that had listed their ports as \u201cpublic\u201d were actively discouraging public use with signs and stickers designed to turn people away.<\/p>\n \tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/p>\n Thank you, for nothing<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong, I understand the libertarian caveat emptor vibe. It\u2019s just not my scene. I\u2019m here to tell you that if there is a loophole in the law that will allow a business to fleece a customer, the franchise auto dealers will find it<\/a>, and EV charging is no exception.<\/p>\n See, unlike gas stations, EV charge point operators (CPOs) in many states aren\u2019t required to clearly advertise what they\u2019ll charge before a driver plugs in in the same way that gas stations are: with clearly legible signage that\u2019s visible from the street. Without those kinds of regulation in place, it\u2019s all too easy for unscrupulous CPOs to take advantage of EV noobs.<\/p>\n As such, I\u2019l telling you that there needs to be a lot more regulation on these things, and if you\u2019re operating your charge point as, or as part of a for-profit business that absolutely requires them as a cost of doing business (as car dealers are) you should have to go above and beyond in order to qualify for incentive dollars.<\/p>\n And, frankly, it should be incredibly easy for those incentive programs to claw those dollars back if the CPO steps out of line.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just car dealers<\/p>\n The problem doesn\u2019t end with car dealers. Last month, a Redditor called C1rcuitBoard<\/a> posted their experience an MES-branded EV charging station in Sycamore, IL \u2013\u00a0and they didn\u2019t catch on until after racking up a whopping $671.60 electric fuel bill<\/a>!<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I charged they were not displaying updated pricing in the app, so I didn\u2019t notice the issue.\u201d writes C1rcuitBoard<\/a>. \u201cI emailed the company to see if it was a mistake and I could get a refund, (but the company) doubled down, and even sent me their power bill to \u2018prove\u2019 they weren\u2019t overcharging me.\u201d<\/p>\n All of this bad behavior targets people who are learning how to navigate a new fuel choice (one that is undoubtedly and objectively and verifiably better for the people and planet<\/a>)\u00a0and does so with tools their victims probably helped pay for. Worse, it will probably take a good long while before the people who got fleeced trust that new fuel choice again.<\/p>\n As such, I think it\u2019s time that we, as EV People\u2122, try to come up with some basic ground rules for \u201cpublic\u201d chargers receiving public funds. Give me your take on these \u2026<\/p>\n unfettered access \u2013\u00a0for at least 16 hours\/day, public chargers must be prioritized for public use, with inventory, service, or fleet vehicles taking a back seat<\/p>\n transparent pricing \u2013\u00a0just like gas stations, CPOs should post illuminated signs with digits 16-24\u2033 tall<\/a>, clearly indicating per kWh pricing<\/p>\n cap energy markups \u2013\u00a0cap the profits at some percentage of real energy costs, and audit the CPOs frequently to make sure they\u2019re in compliance<\/p>\n an aggressive clawback mechanism \u2013\u00a0failure to maintain the above standards (and the current NEVU uptime requirements) will result in incentive dollars being pulled, either through utility bills, tax penalties, or some other mechanism the business in question can\u2019t easily escape<\/p>\n \u2026 then head down to the comments section and let us know what you think of those ideas, and what sort of rules you think could make a difference in making sure that public charging programs actually serve the public, and not just the CPOs.<\/p>\n Note that we\u2019ve also reached out to Steve and invited him to come share his stories on an upcoming episode of Quick Charge<\/a>, and if all goes well, we\u2019ll be posting that interview in a few days.<\/p>\n Original content from Electrek<\/a>, source links throughout; featured image by Ford<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re considering going solar, it\u2019s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out\u00a0EnergySage<\/a>, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it\u2019s free to use, and you won\u2019t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n .Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you\u2019ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way.\u00a0Get started here<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/birkett_sign.jpg\")
No public charging sign; by Steve Birkett.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/whats-the-most-youve-ever-paid-to-charge-ill-start-v0-ou61aiu8i6zg1-copy.jpg\")
Massive EV repair bill; via C1rcuitBoard.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/DES-1038_Electrek-Banners_EVs_0797c2.png\")
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