Are there several business models for electric vehicle charging?
In the future of new energy vehicles, electric vehicles are the most promising development prospects, they can maximize the use of energy but also can achieve electricity instead of oil.
If we want to achieve the sustainable and stable development of electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations are the most basic supporting facilities, which provide energy supply for electric vehicles.
In the electric vehicle charging station, a scientific and reasonable operation model is very important.
Here are some common models:
1. Charge service charge
This is the most basic and most common profit model for most charging station operators at present – to make money by charging a service fee per kilowatt-hour.
Charging station operators can charge electric vehicle users electricity and charging service fees, charging fees in accordance with national regulations. Of course, the amount earned varies depending on the region.
This way of charging service fees has great requirements for the location of the station.
A charging parking space, the more cars charged in a day, the more power of charging, the higher the service charge.
Good locations, such as traffic arteries, highways, popular shopping malls, markets, community gathering places, online taxi hot intensity, daily charging, and single gun daily charging are very considerable, income is also good.
2. Reduce electricity costs
Use the price difference, discharge when the peak, and charge when the trough.
The characteristic of this model is that it takes advantage of the difference in electricity rates during different periods of time to store and discharge electricity.
In addition to earning the service fee, you can also earn the difference in electricity charges.
China’s electricity costs are generally divided into residential electricity, commercial electricity, and industrial electricity.
The price of commercial electricity can fluctuate slightly in each city and even in different parts of each city.
For example, Guangzhou’s commercial electricity consumption is basically around 0.8 Yuan/ KWH, its advantage is that when the peak electricity price is, it shows the advantage of electricity, but the disadvantage is that the price is too high in the Valley power period;
For industrial electricity, we need to calculate the price of electricity according to the “peak”, “flat” and “valley” three stages.
| Time period | Guangzhou electricity price in May 2023(Yuan) | |
| Peak period | 10：00-12：00
14：00-19：00 |
1.2534 |
| Flat period | 8：00-10：00
12：00-14：00 19：00-24：00 |
0.7487 |
| Trough period | 0：00-08：00 | 0.3017 |
In the trough period when electricity is cheap, the energy storage device stores electricity and then discharges the car during the peak period.
This kind of charger is a charge and discharge integrated EV charger, in addition to the traditional discharge function, but also has its own power storage function.
3. Advertise
There are also many charging station operators who choose to advertise on the wall of the charging station or on the EV charger to obtain revenue.
They let the charger become a new carrier of advertising, do print media advertising on the charger, install LCD screens or advertising light boxes on the charger, and publicize charger use methods, precautions, safety instructions, parking instructions, service push, and other content in these places.
“One day of advertising downtown is enough to pay the electricity bill for a week”, one Charging station operator says.
4. Charging platform service
Charging station operators can develop their own charging platform, using the charger manufacturer’s platform or a locally operated charging platform.
For example, Bluesky has its own charging management system and service platform. Charging station operators can issue EV owners to handle our charging cards, make a unified settlement of related fees, and obtain cash flow through pre-payment.
If you want to use a local charging platform to make payments more convenient, you can also use the OCPP protocol that comes with the charger. Our staff will help you connect to the platform.
The mobile APP can also obtain a batch of high-quality customer information, increase customer stickiness by counting charging time and calculating clean travel distance, etc., and also push advertising content and related services.
Bluesky also has a supporting commercial APP and home APP, so that our customers have a more simple and convenient charging operation and pleasant charging experience.
5. Value-added service
There are many value-added services that charging stations can do. While providing basic charging services, expanding some emerging value-added services can also improve the revenue of the station.
For example, by setting up automatic car washing machines, to provide owners with self-service car washing services.
n addition, operators can also open shops or self-service vending machines in the charging station to earn profits by selling goods.It can also carry out charging and value-added services for other equipment.
For example, when users charge cars, they also need to charge mobile phones, charging banks, laptops, and other devices, so that the equipment can be charged in the cabinet without long-term duty.
Since there is a cabinet, you can also carry out temporary storage services for items, use the mobile APP to enter the password to unlock or control the wireless charging line, and then charge on time.
For example, when users charge cars, they also need to charge mobile phones, charging banks, laptops, and other devices, so that the equipment can be charged in the cabinet without long-term duty.
Since there is a cabinet, you can also carry out temporary storage services for items, use the mobile APP to enter the password to unlock or control the wireless charging line, and then charge on time.
6. Business parking space
At present, many big cities are facing the problem of a shortage of parking Spaces, and the difficulty of parking has become a common problem.
If the charging station has enough space, it can also build its own EV garage, which can not only make full use of the existing EV charger but also solve part of the parking problem.
For example, to make money by renting out monthly or night parking Spaces, the closer you are to the city center, the higher the price.
For example, you can also obtain rental income by renting stores to online car companies or taxi companies, renting idle venues to driving schools, 4S shops, and so on.
If the charging station has enough space, it can also build its own EV garage, which can not only make full use of the existing EV charger but also solve part of the parking problem.
For example, to make money by renting out monthly or night parking Spaces, the closer you are to the city center, the higher the price.
For example, you can also obtain rental income by renting stores to online car companies or taxi companies, renting idle venues to driving schools, 4S shops, and so on.
There are charging stations trying these business models, but the effect is mixed. The model is innovative, but it does not have universal success factors, and can only be a special occasion, niche profit model.