Costco Offers Discounted EV Charging at Limited Stores

Costco is sending mixed messages to electric vehicle (EV) drivers. The warehouse club now offers fast charging stations, but only at some stores. The company has partnered with all sorts of EV charging providers, including Tesla and Electrify America, but it has done zero advertising of the service.

Is Costco secretly ramping up its charging station installations, or is it taking a wait-and-see approach? And how much value, if any, do these stations offer Costco shoppers' personal finances?

Costco is testing out EV charging stations

In Costco's Q4 2023 earnings call, Costco CFO Richard Galanti says, "As it relates to EV charging, we're testing it in a number of locations."

Considering the trends currently shrinking costs, people, myself included, will probably buy more and more EVs. A handful of EV chargers at my local Costco warehouse would do a lot to get my butt into the store itself. Since I'm there, I might as well shop around, yeah?

Right now, Costco is offering discounted EV charging at limited stores across the U.S. Some states where EV chargers have been sighted include California, Colorado, Florida, Utah, Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia. (Thank you for your service, Reddit and X posters.)

Redditors have reported a mix of Level 2 charging at a Torrance (California) location and fast charging at a warehouse in Colorado.

Heads up, some stations are members-only, though this may vary by location.

Costco chargers are cheaper than typical

Regarding the price of EV charging, Richard Galanti says, "You know, if there's a charge for it, it's going to be less at Costco. And we'll wait and see."

PlugShare reviews at the Costco Wholesale Torrance location indicate customers are satisfied with the low prices offered, though there have been issues, including nonfunctional chargers.

It seems like Costco may be copying the strategy of Costco gas stations, which are notoriously affordable -- good news for Costco members and EV drivers. The prices of chargers vary by location, much like gas stations.

Costco offers other EV discounts

Costco also sells at-home EV chargers at Costco prices.

Some chargers are online-only -- you must shop at Costco.com to buy them. Non-members can purchase a couple of chargers, though Costco charges 5% extra for the privilege. Regarding non-member prices, the Juicebox 40 is $499 at Costco.com, $434 at Walmart, and $489.00 at the original retailer. So you might be paying more if you're not a member.

Costco has a great return policy. If that's important to you, it may be worth paying up.

Costco credit card holders get an additional 4% off electricity at EV charging stations. This applies to EV chargers generally, not just ones at Costco. Plug-in hybrid drivers can also take advantage of the 4% off gas stations perk. Seems as if Costco has its drivers covered.

The future of EV stations at Costco

It looks as if Costco is taking a wait-and-see approach to EV chargers. Should the store find offering them profitable, Costco will probably continue rolling them out to locations near you.

In the meantime, folks will have to settle for at-home chargers and outside networks. With any luck, the cost of charging EVs will remain competitive with gas prices, and shrink even further. Should Costco offer charging stations, prices will be lower than ever.