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Public Electric Vehicle Charger Rates Change October 1

Post Date:09/25/2025 2:00 PM

Close up of a blue Chevy Volt plugged into a charger

 The City’s public electric vehicle chargers are changing to an updated time-of-use rate schedule and removing the per session charge. This will make it less expensive to charge during super off-peak hours (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.). It will be more expensive to charge during off-peak hours (9 p.m. – 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.) and during peak hours (4 p.m. – 9 p.m.), when energy use and costs are highest. The $1.25 per session flat fee will be eliminated.

The new rates are:

Rate period

Time of use

Fee

Super off peak

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

$0.25 per kWh

Off peak

9 p.m. – 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

$0.35 per kWh

Peak

4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

$0.45 per kWh

What do the new rates mean for me?

If you currently use public electric vehicle chargers in San José, you may see your cost go up or down, depending on when you charge.

For example: A Hyundai Ioniq 5 consumes 43.2 kWh of electricity over six hours at one of the City’s downtown chargers. At the current rate for those chargers ($1.25 per charging session plus $0.25/kWh between 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. and $0.20 per kWh overnight.) the fee would be:

  • Daytime: $12.05
  • Overnight: $9.89

Under the new rate, assuming the charging session was entirely within one of these time windows, the fee would be

  • Super off peak: $10.80
  • Off peak: $15.12
  • Peak: $19.44

The new rates are expected to cover the costs of operating and maintaining the chargers, which the City of San José currently does at a loss. But they remain low enough to stay competitive compared to other chargers available to the public.

Click here for more information about City of San José public electric vehicle chargers.

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