EV Charging Fees Double, Sparking Debate—Yet Electric Cars Still Half the Cost of Gas Vehicles

Recently, an electric vehicle (EV) owner complained on social media about the high charging fees at highway service areas, stating they paid 72 yuan for just 40.13 kWh of electricity—an effective rate of 1.8 yuan per kWh. This is significantly higher than the approximately 1 yuan per kWh charged at urban ultra-fast charging stations and the off-peak nighttime rates as low as 0.5 yuan per kWh. The post sparked heated online discussion, with some netizens joking, "People don't complain about spending two or three hundred yuan to fill up a gas tank once." However, even at these elevated highway charging rates, the cost remains considerably lower than that of fueling a gasoline-powered car. For example, using 40 kWh to travel 250 kilometers results in a cost of roughly 0.28 yuan per kilometer—about half the cost of driving a conventional fuel vehicle. Industry insiders suggest that if time permits, drivers should consider exiting the highway to charge in urban areas, which not only saves money but also helps avoid long queues.