The Hidden Costs of EV Charging: What Your EV Charging Vendor Isn't Telling You

You signed the contract. The chargers are installed. Revenue should be rolling in.

So why does something feel off?

For many property owners, the excitement of adding EV charging fades fast once the reality of vendor relationships sets in. Behind the glossy sales pitch, (99% uptime promise) there's a web of hidden costs and questionable practices that can quietly drain your investment.

SIM cards and surprise invoices.

Most chargers rely on cellular connectivity, and when the vendor upgrades the software you may need to replace the SIM cards. Guess who pays? If your vendor doesn't have a clear plan, you're looking at service interruptions and costs that were never part of the original deal.

Your CARB credits might already be gone.

In a few states where EV chargers are used, they generate environmental credits (called CARB credits). Some vendors claim those credits for themselves, without ever telling you. No disclosure. No conversation. They are taking revenue that is rightfully the charging station owners.

The portal lies.

Most vendors give you a dashboard to track revenue and station activity. In practice? The numbers don't always add up. Session counts, energy data, revenue figures. If you don't know how to audit them, you'd never know the difference.

Your money is being held hostage.

Stations are getting used and generating income but nothing hitting your account? The vendor says you owe network fees that you were never invoiced for. They locked you into a network fee agreement but never locked in an annual cost, so what you owe can shift without warning. And when remittance does come through, the calculations may be wrong.

Customer service is nonexistent.

When stations go down, you want service. What you get is a chatbot or silence, or even worse, someone giving you instructions that are outside of your comfort zone. Stations offline. Drivers frustrated. Revenue lost. And you're refreshing your inbox hoping someone cares.

The list goes on. And every one of these issues has the same root cause: the vendor controls the relationship and you don't have the visibility to push back.

This Is Why REVS Exists

We've seen every version of this story. We manage level 2 charging stations from 12 different hardware and software vendors. We've already experienced it and we don't want you to go through it.

That's why we review vendor agreements before signing. We audit portal data against actual performance. We make sure your CARB credits stay in your name. We track every dollar and hold vendors accountable.

EV charging should be a revenue stream for your property, not a black hole.

If you're evaluating vendors or trying to figure out where your money is going, talk to REVS. We'll help you take back control.

Related reading:

EV Charging Is Not a Cost Center. Here's the Math.

Fully Financed EV Charging for Commercial Properties. Here's How It Works.