Profit From the Price Gap: How STR Owners Can Make Money From EV Charging
You Could Charge $3X Your Electricity Cost
Here's what makes EV charging especially interesting for short-term rental owners:
Residential electricity can cost roughly 11¢–25¢ per kWh, while public EV charging commonly costs around 45¢–65¢+ per kWh.
That means, depending on your local electricity rate and what you charge your guests, you may be able to charge roughly three times—or more—what you pay for the electricity.
That's a pretty compelling opportunity.
And you're not selling some complicated new service.
You're offering your guests something they already need:
A place to charge their EV.
The 3X Opportunity
Let's make it simple.
Suppose your property's electricity costs 15¢ per kWh.
You could potentially charge your guests 45¢ per kWh—a price that's right around what drivers may already encounter at commercial charging stations.
Your electricity costs you:
15¢
Your guest pays:
45¢
That's 3X your electricity cost.
If a guest uses 40 kWh during their stay:
Your electricity cost: $6.00
Guest payment: $18.00
Difference: $12.00
That's before accounting for any applicable Boba Charge fees and your other costs, so it isn't a guaranteed $12 profit. But it demonstrates the basic economics.
And you didn't have to invent a price.
You can simply look at what commercial EV chargers around your property are charging and set your own competitive rate.
Why Is There Such a Big Difference?
Because commercial EV charging isn't priced like the electricity you use at home.
A public charging company has to pay for much more than electricity.
They have to acquire or lease property, install charging equipment, maintain the equipment, provide networking and payment systems, handle repairs, and operate the charging location.
And the driver has to physically go there.
As a property owner using Boba Charge, you already have something commercial charging companies spend a lot of money to provide:
A parking space where the customer is already going to be.
Your guest is already at your Airbnb.
Already at your vacation rental.
Already at your hotel.
Already at your business.
Already parked.
Why not let them charge while they're there?
Your Guest Isn't Just Paying for Electricity
This is the part that's easy to miss.
Your guest isn't necessarily comparing your 45¢ per kWh price to the 15¢ per kWh they pay at their own house.
They're comparing it to their alternatives.
If the commercial charger down the road costs 55¢ per kWh, your 45¢ price may look pretty attractive.
But there's more.
They don't have to drive somewhere else.
They don't have to find an available charger.
They don't have to wait for a charger to open.
They don't have to sit at a commercial charging station.
They don't have to worry about finding a charger first thing in the morning.
They can simply plug in where they're already staying.
They're paying for convenience, too.
Charge While They Sleep
For short-term rentals, this can be especially valuable.
Imagine your guest arrives at 6:00 PM with 30% battery remaining.
They could leave your property, find a commercial charger, plug in, and wait.
Or they could plug into your Boba Charge before going inside.
They have dinner.
They relax.
They go to sleep.
They wake up.
Their car is charged.
That is a very different charging experience.
And it's one of the biggest advantages of putting an EV charger where people already park.
You Set the Price
Boba Charge doesn't dictate what you charge.
You set your own price per kWh.
We recommend looking at the commercial charging stations around your property and seeing what drivers in your area are already paying.
Then choose a competitive rate.
Maybe that's 35¢.
Maybe it's 40¢.
Maybe it's 45¢.
Maybe your local market supports something higher.
The point isn't to charge as much as possible.
The point is to offer a price that makes sense for your property and gives your guests a better alternative to leaving the property to charge.
Your Guest Doesn't Need Another App
Boba Charge also makes the payment process simple.
Your guest doesn't have to download an EV charging app or join another charging network.
They simply:
Scan the QR code.
Pay.
Charge.
That's it.
The property owner controls the pricing, and the guest pays for the charging session.
Turn Your Parking Space Into a Revenue-Producing Amenity
Your property already has the most important part of destination charging:
A place where your guest's car is going to sit.
That's true whether you operate an Airbnb, VRBO, vacation rental, cabin, beach house, hotel, small business, apartment property, or another type of property.
Boba Charge gives you a way to turn that parking space into a charging destination.
And because the price gap between residential electricity and commercial charging can be substantial, there can be meaningful room between what you pay for electricity and what you charge for the service.
Your guests charge. You get paid.
That's the Boba Charge opportunity.
The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Solution Starting a Charging Revolution!