EV charging prices: why a simple question still isn’t easy to answer

I recently noticed a new EV charging station near Newcastle Airport. Architecturally, it looked impressive — modern, well-lit, clearly a serious investment.

What it didn’t have was something we’ve taken for granted for decades at petrol stations:
a clear, visible price.

No £/kWh on a sign.
No indication before turning in.

I went looking for the price and failed. To find it, I would have needed to scan a QR code, download an app, create an account, and only then discover what I was about to pay.

That single observation triggered a lively discussion — and the comments themselves are worth reflecting on.

Two very different EV user mindsets

One clear line emerged in the comments.

On one side were experienced EV drivers. People who:

• Plan journeys in advance

• Use Zap-Map, PlugShare, or in-car navigation

• Are subscribers to one or more charging networks

• Already know their “usual” prices

For them, the lack of a roadside price sign feels like a non-issue. Charging is planned, deliberate, and often infrequent because most charging happens at home on cheap off-peak tariffs.

On the other side were comments from people describing very different experiences:

• Hire cars

• Fleet drivers

• Visitors

• People without home charging

• Anyone charging ad-hoc, in the rain, under time pressure

For these users, price opacity isn’t an inconvenience — it’s friction.

“But EV prices aren’t fixed…”

A common defence is that EV charging prices vary:

• Contactless costs more

• App users pay less

• Subscribers pay less again

So what price should be shown?

But this isn’t a new problem. Airlines, trains, hotels, mobile phones — all have multiple prices, yet they still manage to show a clear headline rate.

Petrol stations do the same. Loyalty discounts exist, but the standard pump price is still displayed clearly, before you commit.

Multiple prices aren’t a reason to hide pricing.
They’re a reason to explain it better.

The uncomfortable maths

Several comments pointed out something else entirely:
public EV charging can be expensive.

In some cases, 3–4× the cost of home charging. When converted to pence per mile, it can look comparable to — or even worse than — an efficient petrol car.

That doesn’t mean pricing is a “scam”, but it does reflect reality:

• Rapid chargers are expensive assets

• Grid connections and reinforcement are costly

• Utilisation is still low at many sites

• Capital has to be recovered somehow

Add to that the VAT mismatch — 5% at home, 20% on public charging — and you have a real policy distortion that deserves urgent attention.

But again, high prices are not an argument against transparency. If anything, they make it more important.

“Isn’t the big price sign just legacy thinking?”

Another thoughtful point raised was whether roadside price displays are simply a relic of the ICE world.

After all:

• Petrol stations are declining in number

• EV satnavs are getting smarter

• Some cars now show live prices on the dashboard

So is the sign redundant?

I don’t think so.

The reason petrol price displays were introduced in the first place wasn’t nostalgia — it was consumer protection. To allow drivers to make an informed decision before committing.

Even with fuel price apps, that logic still holds today.

And crucially, not everyone drives the latest EV with integrated pricing, just as not everyone uses the same apps.

What this really comes down to

This debate isn’t anti-EV.
It’s not anti-technology.
And it’s not about stopping innovation.

It’s about recognising that EV charging is becoming everyday infrastructure, not a niche early-adopter activity.

When something becomes mainstream, expectations change:

• Less friction

• More clarity

• Fewer surprises

Seeing the price before you park up isn’t a radical demand. It’s a small but important signal that the system is designed around people, not just platforms.

Final thought

Home charging is one of the great advantages of EVs.
Apps and in-car systems are genuinely useful.
Pricing will evolve, and it may even become more dynamic over time.

But none of that removes the value of one simple thing:

Clear, visible £/kWh pricing at public charging sites, before you commit.

There was a reason petrol stations were required to do it.
That reason hasn’t disappeared — the fuel has just changed.

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