Who pays for the electricity at public electric car hookups?

Question

Here in northern California, I've seen hookups for electric cars in parking garages and at shopping center parking lots. Although I've never actually seen one being used, if they were to be used, who foots the bill for the electricity?

Answer 1

Joe Taxpayer.

Answer 2

You do in one way or another.

Answer 3

The shopping center. In a way, you do by buying their products.

Answer 4

Did you see a documentary called something like Who Killed the Electric Car?

There was a time about 10 years ago when the major companies like GM and Honda built and tested a small number of plug-in electrics.

If you had one of those cars, you could get the local electric utility to install a special meter on your home or business.

Essentially it cut your electicity cost to about 25% or 30% of what everyone else paid.

If you know of any shopping malls or other sites which still have electric hookups, please post the locations.

In theory, the number of vehicles would increase and there would be an interlock that measured how much electricity you used.

You could pay just like paying a phone bill.

This was a win-win idea.  The car would charge at night in your garage when electricity was NOT at peak demand.  

It would be produced at power plants which had two advantages.  They were more efficient than gasoline-engine powered sources of electricity AND the car could be lighter because it didn't have to carry the engine or generator onboard.

Answer 5

You do!

Answer 6

my guess would be the public

you, me, everybody whether you use it or not