On Operator Economics

Most EV charging financial models I see make the same mistake: they optimize for utilization.

High utilization sounds good. More sessions per charger, more revenue per site, better returns.

But utilization is a trailing indicator. It tells you how well you're using what you've already built. It doesn't tell you whether you should have built it in the first place.

What matters more:

Site selection — The difference between a great site and a mediocre one isn't 20%. It's 5x. Location, visibility, and co-location with amenities determine whether customers show up at all.

Reliability — A charger that works 95% of the time sounds acceptable. But that 5% downtime happens at the worst moments — when customers are desperate, when the site is busy, when your reputation is on the line.

Operating costs — Most models underestimate maintenance, customer support, and payment processing. These don't scale the way software costs do. They compound.

The operators who build sustainable businesses focus on these fundamentals first. Utilization follows.

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Originally shared on LinkedIn. Republished here for permanence.