How property owners earn from EV charging
A property earns from electric vehicle (EV) charging in one of two forms: a fixed rent, or a share of what drivers pay. Which one you get, and how much risk you carry, depends on the deployment model you agree with the Provider. This chapter explains the five models in plain terms.
Drivers pay. The site pays the power company. The gap is the pool.
Drivers pay per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
What the driver is charged for each kilowatt hour they take. This is the top line, and it is set by whoever operates the charger.
The site pays the utility less
Your commercial tariff, plus any demand charge. This is the cost line, and the demand charge is the part most people miss.
The gap is the pool
What is left over is split between whoever paid for the equipment, whoever operates it, and the property. Who gets what is decided by the deployment model, not by the machine.
Everything else in this chapter is about who gets what share of that pool, and who carries a bad month.
Five ways to build it.
These are the same five models described on our For Property Owners page.
| Model | Who pays to build | What the property gets | Who carries the risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| You own it | You | All of the margin | You |
| Zero capital expenditure | The Provider | Rent, or a share of revenue | The Provider |
| Charge point operator | The Provider | A share, usually smaller, with no involvement | The Provider |
| Hybrid | Split | Negotiated | Split |
| Equipment lease | The Provider, and you pay a fixed amount each month | All of the margin, after that payment | You |
You own it
You buy the chargers and pay for installation. You keep all of the margin, and you carry all of the risk: low use, repairs and running costs. You still need a company to run the chargers day to day, or you do it yourself. Running public chargers yourself may require accreditation with the Department of Energy (DOE). Check with the DOE before you decide.
Zero capital expenditure
The Provider pays to build. In return, it pays you a fixed rent or a share of revenue. You carry far less risk. You also give up most of the upside if the chargers get busy.
Charge point operator
The Provider pays to build and runs everything. You host the chargers and receive a share, usually smaller, with no involvement. The simplest arrangement for owners who want nothing to manage.
Hybrid
You and the Provider split the cost to build, and split the income and risk in a way you negotiate. More to agree, and more to read carefully.
Equipment lease
You pay the Provider a fixed amount each month, for a set number of months, for the chargers and for running them. The Provider runs the chargers day to day. After that payment, the margin is yours. If the chargers are quiet, you still pay. Before you sign, ask who owns the chargers at the end, whether you can buy them and at what price, and who pays for repairs and downtime. We first heard about this model from more than one Provider at the Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit in October 2026, and we have not seen its written terms yet.
For the questions to ask each Provider, see the Host Agreement Checklist.
Fixed rent, or a share of revenue.
Fixed rent
The same amount each month, whatever happens at the charger. Easy to plan around. If the chargers become busy, the rent does not rise unless the agreement says so.
A share of revenue
Your income rises and falls with use. Read how the agreement defines "revenue". A share of what drivers pay is very different from a share of what is left after electricity and fees.
Zero capital expenditure does not mean zero cost or zero risk.
Even when the Provider pays for everything, you are still giving something. Check these before you sign.
Your parking
How many slots are set aside, for how many years, and whether other cars can use them.
The term
How long the agreement runs, how you can end it early, and who removes the equipment at the end, at whose cost.
The electricity
Who pays the power bill, whether there is a separate meter, and who pays any demand charge.
Use decides everything.
How busy the chargers are matters more than which model you pick. A charger that sits idle still cost money to install. Two identical chargers on two different properties can earn very different amounts. That is why any figure you are shown before someone has looked at your site is a guess.
From our screenings
ZEEE Green Business Consultancy is an independent EV charging advisor. It does not sell, install or operate chargers.