Costco shoppers pulling up to the retailer’s newly installed Electrify America fast chargers are getting a rude awakening about the real cost of going electric.
A widely shared video circulating online shows a Rivian owner arriving at one of the stations with the battery at just 27 percent. The dashboard estimated it would take 1 hour and 10 minutes to reach a full charge. When the session ended at 94 percent, the bill came to $62. Extrapolating the numbers puts a complete 0-to-100 percent charge at roughly $93.For a vehicle with a typical range of 300 to 420 miles on a full battery, that works out to a hefty price for “fuel.”
“It’s literally way cheaper to just drive a gas vehicle at these electric prices,” the post accompanying the video declared, capturing the frustration of many drivers forced to rely on public fast chargers.
The footage, filmed at a Costco location, captures the Rivian plugged into an Electrify America unit while the owner waits. The charging screen confirms the long wait time and the steep cost as the battery slowly climbs. Unlike a gas station fill-up that takes a few minutes and costs far less for comparable range in many cases, the EV process demands both significant time and money.
Critics of the electric vehicle push have long warned that public fast charging remains expensive and inconvenient for everyday Americans. While home charging can be cheaper, many drivers—especially those without easy access to a garage or Level 2 setup—end up relying on these public stations during travel or daily use. At current Electrify America rates, the economics often favor traditional gasoline vehicles for larger trucks and SUVs like the Rivian.
The video has fueled online debate about whether the rapid expansion of EV infrastructure, including at major retailers like Costco, is delivering the promised savings for consumers. Supporters of the green transition argue that technology and prices will improve over time, and that most charging happens at home overnight. But real-world examples like this one continue to highlight the gap between marketing claims and the experience at the charger.
For now, as more Costco stores roll out the Electrify America network, drivers are discovering that the road to electric may still come with longer waits and higher bills than filling up at the pump.
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