Drivers of electric vehicles are encountering high costs and limited access at charging stations located at car dealerships. These sites are often listed as public in charging apps, but users report restrictive policies, such as closed gates outside business hours and priority given to dealership inventory.
A driver in Michigan was charged $418 for a 40-minute session at an Elder Hyundai dealership. The store set a rate of $5 per kWh plus $5 per minute. Another incident involved a user in New Jersey who reported a rate of $15 per kWh at a different Hyundai location, while a user in Illinois faced a bill of $671.60 at an MES-branded station.
The lack of clear, street-visible pricing requirements for charge point operators allows for these discrepancies. Critics suggest that businesses receiving public incentive funds for installing chargers should be subject to stricter regulations and potential clawbacks if they fail to provide transparent and accessible public service.
While some dealerships restrict access or discourage public use with signage, others have integrated charging infrastructure into their sales strategy. Industry observers are calling for standardized ground rules to ensure that publicly funded charging programs prioritize the needs of the public over the interests of individual operators.