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> Right now fast chargers are very expensive to build and install, and the return on investment just from selling electricity isn't great unless it's actually u
by com2kid 3y ago
> Right now fast chargers are very expensive to build and install, and the return on investment just from selling electricity isn't great unless it's actually used many times per day.
It is funny, I have a friend running a fast charger business in another country, and he is making plenty of money w/o needing any government grants to get started.
They are vertically integrated from doing HW design, software (they tried outsourcing that, it went badly), to managing physical locations.
They are also expanding slowly and only doing installations where it makes financial sense.
- stetrain 3y agoSounds like they are doing things right. Do they also provide any other amenities that might drive revenue like vending, coffee, etc?
- com2kid 3y ago> Do they also provide any other amenities that might drive revenue like vending, coffee, etc? Full meals. :-D IIRC they sublease land to small restaurants to open food stalls.
- stetrain 3y agoSo they have incentive to keep the chargers and site in good shape because it impacts their charging business as well as the food sales. A lot of chargers in the US are just dropped in the back of a parking lot somewhere. Once the provider has gotten the installation check then they don't have much ongoing incentive to keep it working well. Or even if they want to, keeping the hardware and software working well is tougher when they aren't vertically integrated.