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How Much Does Plugzio Cost & Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of A Charger
How Much Does Plugzio Cost & Factors That Can Affect The Cost Of A Charger

Plugzio's overall cost, including installation and service fees, is about 1/7 of a reputable networked Level 2 charger.

Mohammad Akhlaghi avatar
Written by Mohammad Akhlaghi
Updated over a week ago

Our mission since day 1 has been to be "the most affordable way to charge" and we will stay true to our mission no matter what. We would love to see more people switch to electric modes of transportation and we believe by bringing down the cost of charging (which is biggest barrier to adoption), we can help save our planet.

Here are six factors which play a role in the cost of any charger:

  1. Unit cost of the product
    Every charger has a cost attached to it which is often paid by you directly or indirectly through the electrician (recommended). You often pay for the features packed into the product.

    The MSRP prices for Plugzio are listed here.

    Watch-out: Often corporations bring down the unit cost of their products and advertise that to lure people in but they win by making the service charges higher. So over the long term you will end up paying significantly higher than normal.

  2. Installation
    This is different in almost every scenario and depends on many factors such as: the structure of the property, the available electrical capacity, the distance from the electrical room and the material used for the installation.
    In almost every scenario (especially retro-fits), Plugzio turns out to be significantly more affordable than other options since it requires less material and infrastructure to implement.

    Watch-out: What people often don't talk about is that by installing Level 2 chargers, the maximum electrical capacity of the building can be reached. Any additional charger installations would require an upgrade to the transformer (we are talking over $50,000 cost on average). The only fair option is often to have Level 1 for residents and have a Level 2 as backup in visitor areas. Read this, if you think Level 1 is slow.

  3. Service Fees
    Networked chargers (including Plugzio) come with a service fee. Think of it as buying a cellphone and then you have to go to a cellular provider (like Rogers) to purchase a sim card to access the network. Networked chargers come with sim cards built-in or work via WiFi.

    Plugzio has one of the lowest service fees in the industry can be seen here.

    Watch-out: Often chargers are obsolete if you stop paying the service fees. Charging companies like to hook people in to paying service fees forever. At Plugzio, we take pride in the services we provide to our clients but if someone doesn't like our service, they always still have an outlet at the end of the day.

  4. Commissions
    Every transaction comes with a commission fee (convenience fee, processing fee or whatever they may call it). So if your charger handles transactions, you will likely pay a commission on top of that.

    Our business model does NOT rely on commissions to succeed, therefore Plugzio offers the lowest commission in the industry, which is ZERO.
    Watch-out: We have seen commissions of around 20% in chargers, that's an absurd amount, please don't fall for the convenience sales pitch, people would much rather pay through an app and save money than to tap their credit cards and get charged 20%.

  5. Ability to set prices
    Plugzio gives YOU the power to set your own prices. This means you can set a price that is fair, not be forced into a price by the manufacturer. We often see electric vehicle owners pool together money to install Plugzio and set the rate higher for other users who didn't contribute to the purchase. These capabilities are something you won't get with most other chargers on the market.

  6. Maintenance
    Every charger at some point will require maintenance. According to a study done by City of Richmond via AES Engineering, Level 1 is bar far the most cost effective way to charge over an extended period:

The MSRP prices for Plugzio is listed here. However, as we mentioned, unit price is not the whole cost and is often just the tip of the iceberg, any electrical equipment (EVSE or outlets) must be installed by a certified electrician. We have a trusted list of electricians who are experts in EV charging installations and can provide you with a fair quote. Depending on where you live, we will put you in touch with the right people who can guide you every step of the way. Please contact us to learn more.

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