Couche-Tard, which operates the popular Couche-Tard and Circle K brands in North America, has become the first EV charging network in Canada to switch to kWh billing…for the second time.
In February, after a process that spanned over two years, Measurement Canada finally granted a temporary dispensation order allowing for kWh billing to be implemented by DC fast charging providers. We were expecting companies, including Tesla, to quickly make the switch to billing customers by the amount of energy they use, rather than the amount of time they are plugged in, and that both did and didn’t happen.
Couche-Tard did actually make the switch to kWh billing just weeks later, but had to revert to time-based billing due to a mix-up from Measurement Canada and what the process would actually entail. You can read more about that here.
Now nearly six months later and Couche-Tard has again become the first EV charging provider to implement kWh billing. However in a surprise move, the company has significantly cut its pricing. Back in March they were billing EV owners at $0.65/kwh, but according to their website that has now dropped by 40% to just $0.39/kWh.
Tesla also hasn’t implemented kWh billing, although with Couche-Tard receiving approval this week and hints in the mobile app earlier this month, Tesla shouldn’t be too far behind. And with Couche-Tard’s updated pricing, it gives us a pretty good idea of where Tesla will (or should) be priced when it does finally make the switch to kWh billing.
