Detroit Hyundai dealer wants $400 to charge your car

A Michigan driver was charged $418 for a single EV charging session at a Hyundai dealer's charging station in Macomb Township, after finding it listed as public on the EVgo app. The dealer, Elder Hyundai, was charging $5 per kilowatt-hour of electricity plus another $5 for every minute the car stayed connected. A similar incident happened earlier this year at another Hyundai dealer in New Jersey, which charged $15 per kilowatt-hour.

These cases point to a broader problem with charging stations listed as "public" on apps like EVgo or PlugShare. Car dealers often install these chargers to sell electric vehicles or to satisfy manufacturer requirements, but many restrict access for their own inventory or service customers, close them outside business hours, or post signs discouraging outside drivers from using them at all. Unlike gas stations, charging station operators in many states aren't required to clearly post their prices before you plug in, which makes it easy to end up with a surprise bill. A similar case in Illinois left one driver with a $671 charge after a company changed its app pricing without updating it properly.

If you drive an EV, it's worth treating dealership chargers listed as "public" with caution. Checking reviews on charging apps before you plug in, and confirming pricing if it's posted, can help you avoid a similar surprise. Some apps also let you filter dealership chargers out of your search results entirely.