Tesla Destination Charger Owners - Do Companies Bill for the Use?

[chadlabonte]

My company owns several commercial properties. We’re considering installing Tesla destination chargers at locations where it makes sense. I understand that Tesla offers programs where the chargers are provided at no cost and they may even pay for installation. However, I’m concerned about the price of electricity and how much it could cost us to operate the units over time - especially if we have many installations. I assume the charger use will be pretty heavy and will grow over time, especially as EV use/ownership grows over time.

Can anyone offer advice regarding this? Do people bill for the use of these chargers? If so, what’s the best method to do so?

 

[mblakele]

Normally they’re free to customers of the business. If that doesn’t make sense for you, then you might be better served with chargepoint or similar.

 

[Ostrichsak]

It looks like you pay under $0.10/kWh in Fairfield, CT so I wouldn't be too worried about your bill skyrocketing.

The idea of destination chargers is that the nominal cost of increased electricity use will be less than the additional business brought about by having them and attracting customers who previously may not have visited. It also served to make the Tesla charge network more prolific for it's customers. A win win win so to speak so it made all the sense in the world previosly.

Now that there's lots of them and more Superchargers by the day, the push to get them installed everywhere has waned and it's more difficult to get free Destination Chargers from Tesla these days so I doubt you'll even get them.

You may be better suited to offer a NEMA 14-50 outlet(s) and list them on Plug Share, social media, etc if you're a retail business looking to drive some new business. It's cheap advertising considering the growth of EVs.

 

[doghousePVD]

I have asked for destination chargers, and the free charger program has been discontinued.

 

[ewoodrick]

Destination chargers can be set at varying charge speeds. At slower speeds, water fountains draw a lot more power. At higher speeds, it's a more, but still not too stupid.
Destination chargers are generally installed as good for environment type of corporate programs (ride-share, etc) or customer draw (B&Bs, etc.)
Dependent on their locations, they aren't necessarily continuously used, some are actually rarely used. They don't represent a solution for a traveler, they only represent solutions for people that will stay in a place for hours.

If you install, make sure that you don't install in desirable parking spaces. Put them in the least desirable locations.

 

[srs5694]

Tesla's Destination Charger program uses Tesla Wall Connectors, which are primarily sold for home use. They lack any facility for tracking use or billing, so if you wanted to bill for their use, you'd need to add third-party equipment. Such solutions might exist, but I'm not certain of that, and I certainly can't point you to such a solution.

If you really want to bill for the electricity, you'd need to look into ChargePoint's commercial program or something similar. These use EVSEs built to industrial standards, including networking and the ability to charge for the electricity. The downside is that they're much more expensive than Tesla Wall Connectors or comparable J1772 EVSEs from companies like Clipper Creek -- enough so that you might never earn back the difference in up-front cost. Charging near market rates for the electricity will bring in a pittance, and raising the rates will deter use, so you'll still bring in a pittance.

That said, you wrote that you're interested in installing these EVSEs on "commercial properties." Depending on the nature of the properties, there might be some reasonable middle ground. For instance, if these are apartments, you might put a Tesla or J1772 EVSE in a locked box and rent keys to residents for some reasonable monthly fee.

 

[PV-EV]

The Tesla Destination charging program is alive and well in Alaska. I recently have been approved to install three, delivered at no cost fromTesla.

 

[destructure00]

I've had my 3 for 6 months and have already purposely booked 3 hotels primarily because they have destination chargers available (actually posting from one right now). These 3 hotels likely would not have gotten my business otherwise. I bet it cost each one of them less than $5 in electricity to charge me up.

 

[SageBrush]

New My company owns several commercial properties. We’re considering installing Tesla destination chargers at locations where it makes sense.

What business is conducted at these properties ?

 

[doghousePVD]

The Tesla Destination charging program is alive and well in Alaska. I recently have been approved to install three, delivered at no cost from Tesla.

Nice to hear about Alaska. I've applied for Destination Chargers in Maine and Rhode Island unsuccessfully.

 

[Jeffl1969]

Some of the comments here are a bit short-sighted. What happens when the amount of Teslas in the wild grows and usage is constant. The electricity costs will add up. Of course if there are only one or two chargers, it may not be a big deal, but the member is stating a sizable install. There are other factors that need to be considered also like power management. A ChargePoint type solution makes more sense, or take a look at this article that references a product that converts a Tesla destination charger to one that can be managed on the cheap.

 

[Jeffl1969]

I've applied for Destination Chargers in Maine and Rhode Island unsuccessfully.

Did you get any reply? If so, what did they day?

 

[Jeffl1969]

Google "ampedup evcc". This lets you converts a Tesla destination charger to one that can be managed cheaply. Supposedly it will be available in January.

 

[chadlabonte]

It looks like you pay under $0.10/kWh in Fairfield, CT so I wouldn't be too worried about your bill skyrocketing.

The idea of destination chargers is that the nominal cost of increased electricity use will be less than the additional business brought about by having them and attracting customers who previously may not have visited. It also served to make the Tesla charge network more prolific for it's customers. A win win win so to speak so it made all the sense in the world previosly.

Now that there's lots of them and more Superchargers by the day, the push to get them installed everywhere has waned and it's more difficult to get free Destination Chargers from Tesla these days so I doubt you'll even get them.

You may be better suited to offer a NEMA 14-50 outlet(s) and list them on Plug Share, social media, etc if you're a retail business looking to drive some new business. It's cheap advertising considering the growth of EVs.

That makes sense. I'll look into your suggestions and I appreciate the help.

 

[chadlabonte]

Google "ampedup evcc". This lets you converts a Tesla destination charger to one that can be managed cheaply. Supposedly it will be available in January.

That sounds good. I'll take a look, thanks!

 

[chadlabonte]

What business is conducted at these properties ?

They are grocery anchored shopping centers.

 

[chadlabonte]

Destination chargers can be set at varying charge speeds. At slower speeds, water fountains draw a lot more power. At higher speeds, it's a more, but still not too stupid.
Destination chargers are generally installed as good for environment type of corporate programs (ride-share, etc) or customer draw (B&Bs, etc.)
Dependent on their locations, they aren't necessarily continuously used, some are actually rarely used. They don't represent a solution for a traveler, they only represent solutions for people that will stay in a place for hours.

If you install, make sure that you don't install in desirable parking spaces. Put them in the least desirable locations.

Good suggestion, thanks

 

[chadlabonte]

Tesla's Destination Charger program uses Tesla Wall Connectors, which are primarily sold for home use. They lack any facility for tracking use or billing, so if you wanted to bill for their use, you'd need to add third-party equipment. Such solutions might exist, but I'm not certain of that, and I certainly can't point you to such a solution.

If you really want to bill for the electricity, you'd need to look into ChargePoint's commercial program or something similar. These use EVSEs built to industrial standards, including networking and the ability to charge for the electricity. The downside is that they're much more expensive than Tesla Wall Connectors or comparable J1772 EVSEs from companies like Clipper Creek -- enough so that you might never earn back the difference in up-front cost. Charging near market rates for the electricity will bring in a pittance, and raising the rates will deter use, so you'll still bring in a pittance.

That said, you wrote that you're interested in installing these EVSEs on "commercial properties." Depending on the nature of the properties, there might be some reasonable middle ground. For instance, if these are apartments, you might put a Tesla or J1772 EVSE in a locked box and rent keys to residents for some reasonable monthly fee.

Appreciate the suggestions. Actually I was directed to a new company, AmpedUp! Networks https://ampedup.net/articles/how-to-make-money-with-and-manage-tesla-destination-chargers for managing Tesla Wall Connectors. Looks promising. We are contemplating installing solar carports throughout the parking lot in addition to an energy storage system (Lithium or Flow) batteries. Trying to create a closed loop renewable energy solution. Stay tuned.

 

[ajdelange]

Two destination chargers come to mind. One is located at a dairy in Coaticook, QC that has a retail shop that sells wonderful ice cream. I use any excuse to go there. The destination charger is icing on the cake. I have an X with the big charger. If I spend 3/4 of an hour there the most electricity I can consume is about $1.42 worth (Canadian) which is probably a good part of the margin they'd get off what I spend there unless the markups are really huge. The typical Tesla with the 42 A chargers would take a bit less than CAD $1.

The other is the only Tesla destination charger in Newfoundland. It is at the Fogo Island Inn where rooms start at around CAD $1800 per night. They doubtless pay more than CAD $0.11/kWh for electricity there but even so a customer taking a full charge isn't going to effect the bottom line much.

 

[Jeffl1969]

Upon further investigation it seems that the Ampedup evcc also works directly with a controllable version of the Clipper Creek charger according to the ppl at Ampedup Networks. The electricity use/cost does add up if you do the math, especially if the chargers are constantly in use.