Public electric-vehicle charging in Azerbaijan costs between 20 and 40 qepiks per kilowatt-hour, while drivers also complain about too few stations and long waits, according to a local television report.
Transport specialist Yasin Mustafayev said prices vary because charging equipment and installation costs differ from one operator to another. Some stations charge 20 to 25 qepiks per kilowatt-hour, others charge 30 to 35 qepiks, and some charge 40 qepiks.
At those rates, delivering 50 kilowatt-hours would cost between 10 and 20 manats - a difference of 10 manats for the same amount of energy. Drivers have called for more consistent pricing, but the cheapest station may not be practical when charging points or compatible connectors are unavailable.
One motorist in the report said a charging session lasted 55 minutes while other drivers waited. The shortage of available points can make price comparisons secondary to finding an open charger.
Mustafayev estimated that importing and installing a charging unit costs roughly 15,000 to 25,000 manats, depending on its power. He said the equipment is expensive and operators must recover installation and operating costs.
The electricity-supply tariff for non-household customers, including EV charging stations, is 12.5 qepiks per kilowatt-hour including value-added tax under a Dec. 29, 2024 decision by Azerbaijan’s Tariff Council. The price charged to motorists is set by service operators and can also cover equipment, installation, maintenance and other expenses; the difference is therefore not all profit.
Mustafayev said government support could help expand the network. He cautioned that imposing a single retail price without accounting for operators’ costs could discourage the installation of new stations, and called for a balance between affordability for drivers and viable investment.
Sources: Vesti Baku; television report; Tariff Council electricity schedule.