EVGO FLEET AND TARIFF ANALYSIS PHASE 1: CALIFORNIA

The analysis finds that high utility demand charges are a primary barrier to the profitability of public DCFC operators, sometimes accounting for over 90% of electricity costs. By modeling current usage data from 230 California stations across four future EV growth scenarios, the report demonstrates that proposed EV-specific tariffs from Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)—which reduce or eliminate demand charges—would significantly lower costs and enable a more sustainable business model. The authors argue for a shift toward time-varying volumetric rates and the socialization of some infrastructure costs to meet California's transportation electrification goals.

• Utility demand charges represent a major economic barrier for public DCFC operators, potentially exceeding 90% of total electricity costs, with some summer rates reaching $1.96/kWh at low-utilization sites.
• Analysis of 230 EVgo stations in California shows that charger utilization and energy consumption vary significantly by host type; for example, retail customers typically 'top off' batteries for shorter durations, while dealership customers arrive with lower states of charge and stay longer.
• The report identifies a strong correlation between DCFC usage profiles and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) system load, with peak usage typically occurring between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
• Proposed EV-specific tariffs from SDG&E (Public Charging GIR) and SCE (ToU-EV-8) are projected to be more stable and cost-effective than existing commercial rates, potentially reducing monthly bills by 50% to 80%.
• Under the proposed new tariffs, the cost to deliver public charging to end-users is expected to remain below $0.09/mile across all four modeled future scenarios, supporting a sustainable business model.
• The authors recommend that future DCFC tariffs prioritize time-varying volumetric rates, low fixed charges, and the ability to earn credits for grid services, while limiting demand charges to only recover location-specific connection costs.
• The report suggests that because public DCFC provide a public good and support state policy goals, it may be justifiable to socialize some of the infrastructure costs across the general customer base.

APA

Fitzgerald, G., & Nelder, C. (2017). EVGO FLEET AND TARIFF ANALYSIS PHASE 1: CALIFORNIA. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/04/eLab_EVgo_Fleet_and_Tariff_Analysis_2017.pdf

Chicago

Fitzgerald, Garrett, and Chris Nelder. EVGO FLEET AND TARIFF ANALYSIS PHASE 1: CALIFORNIA. RMI, 2017. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/04/eLab_EVgo_Fleet_and_Tariff_Analysis_2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=Garrett |last2=Nelder |first2=Chris |title=EVGO FLEET AND TARIFF ANALYSIS PHASE 1: CALIFORNIA |publisher=RMI |date=March 2017 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/04/eLab_EVgo_Fleet_and_Tariff_Analysis_2017.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fitzgerald2017evgo, author = {Fitzgerald, Garrett and Nelder, Chris}, title = {{EVGO FLEET AND TARIFF ANALYSIS PHASE 1: CALIFORNIA}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/04/eLab_EVgo_Fleet_and_Tariff_Analysis_2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }