It's still early days for public electric car charging, with new stations springing up all the time and various networks handling the responsibilty of hosting stations.
One of those networks is Blink, whose DC fast chargers will be familiar to many electric early adopters.
Now, the company has announced it's to try out a series of new pricing models to ascertain what works for its customers and what doesn't.
Based on existing feedback from customers, Blink will explore a series of price changes at its charging stations in certain markets, collecting data on use during these periods and using that to shape its future business model.
Customers at relevant locations will be notified of price changes as they roll out.
DC fast chargers in Arizona, Tennessee, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, and San Diego now have new fees in place, and the first session of test fees is already underway in Los Angeles and San Diego.
San Francisco will soon join these cities, with a $5 per charge event fee for Blink members. Non-members can also use the chargers, at a higher rate of $8 per charge.
Blink is welcoming feedback both from customers using the chargers and on the thread below its announcement.
Initially at least, the new fee system seems to be concerning users, who worry that $5 for a fast charge (likely only 30 minutes, or around 50 miles of range on a Nissan Leaf) is too close to gasoline pricing for comfort.
Still, at least both these initial fees are well below the rumored $20 we covered back in April. Even if the company can no longer claim, "There are in fact no access fees to charge at any Blink DC Fast Charger, nor have there ever been"...
What would you be prepared to pay for a fast charge? Leave your thoughts with us below in the comments section.
[Hat tip: Brian Henderson]
_______________________________________________________
Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+
