EV Charger Business Models for Fleets & Workplaces: From Pay-per-Use to Subscription Plans

As more commercial fleets and workplaces electrify, monetizing charging becomes critical. Should you bill per kWh, offer subscriptions, or hide costs altogether as an amenity? Each path has tradeoffs.

Key revenue models

• Pay-per-kWh or pay-per-session
• Subscription or membership (flat fee for unlimited or capped charging)
• Energy as a service (bundled with facility power costs and operations)
• Cross-charge to tenant cost centers / internal accounting
• Incentivized off-peak credits or rebates

Pros & cons of each

Per-kWh is transparent but exposes you to electricity price volatility. Subscriptions provide stable revenue but may discourage heavy users. Bundling simplifies billing, but can obscure cost recovery and usage insights.

Pricing & rate design tips

• Include demand or capacity costs in your baseline to avoid losses
• Consider tiered plans (e.g., base + overage)
• Offer peak / off-peak discounts to shape behavior
• Use clear, transparent pricing—avoid surprises

Fleets & workplaces: special considerations

Fleets may want dedicated ports, priority scheduling, or backup power. Workplaces can treat charging as perk or cost recuperation. Internal accounting rules (e.g., for LEED credits) matter too.

Case examples

Some logistics firms bill on per-mile basis using telematics; another workplace might absorb cost but market charging as an employee benefit.

Checklist to pick your model

• Estimate utilization and cost per mile/kWh first
• Survey your users’ willingness to pay or expectations
• Ensure pricing covers worst-case demand and energy costs
• Review tax, accounting, and contract implications