Joint Price and Power Optimization Experiment for Workplace Charging Stations

Workplace electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is a key enabler of sustainable urban transitions—by facilitating daytime charging aligned with renewable energy and expanding access for drivers without home-charging options. However, financial sustainability remains challenging as these services are often provided for free or at flat rates. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of joint price and power optimization in increasing revenue and shifting load at workplace charging stations. We integrate empirically estimated behavioral models to influence user decisions through price signals that: (i) enable smart charging and reduce operational costs, (ii) increase charging service revenue, and (iii) maintain adequate utilization. Our framework considers the trade-offs between high utilization and the first two objectives. We achieve high utilization and smart charging outcomes by incentivizing delayed charging only when cost savings are available. We achieve high utilization and high gross revenue by modeling the choice of not charging as an increasing function of the charging tariff. We demonstrate our approach through a 33-day pilot at the University of California, Berkeley, achieving a 28.9% increase in net revenue, 18.4% reduction in utility costs, and a 17% load shift to low-cost periods.