EV Charging Station Break-Even Analysis: $96K/Month Target

Fixed costs $77.3K/mo Monthly overhead base

Contribution margin 80.5% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $96.1K/mo Monthly target

Break-even timing Month 13 Model break-even point

Break-even calculator

This calculator tests monthly charging revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs against break-even.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Monthly charging sales and other operating revenue. $ Lower sales Higher sales Variable expenses Direct costs that rise with charging revenue. $ Lower costs Higher costs

Money available to cover fixed costs $566,483 $683,333 revenue - $116,850 variable expenses

Margin ratio

83%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs Monthly overhead the site has to cover. $ Lower overhead Higher overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which EV charging station expenses are fixed and which move with sales?

Cost classification

Your break-even is only as reliable as the cost split. Sales-linked power, maintenance, revenue share, and support lower contribution; fixed leases and overhead set the monthly hurdle.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Wholesale Electricity Cost	Variable	Subtract 12.0% of first-year revenue before covering fixed overhead; on $1,050,000 revenue, that is $126,000.	Treating station electricity like a flat office utility bill.
Direct Station Maintenance	Variable	Use 2.0% of first-year revenue, or $21,000 on $1,050,000 revenue, in contribution margin.	Ignoring that charger use drives wear and service calls.
Property Leasing Revenue Share	Variable	Apply 3.0% of first-year revenue, or $31,500, as a sales-linked site payment.	Mixing it with the separate fixed site lease payment.
Customer Support & Software Fees	Variable	Use 2.5% of first-year revenue, or $26,250, for session-linked support and platform fees.	Modeling all software as fixed overhead.
Utility Demand Charges, if tariff includes peaks	Semi-variable	Split the base utility charge from peak-usage charges; put the peak-linked part below contribution.	Hiding peak charges inside the 12.0% electricity line.
Fixed Site Lease Payments	Fixed	Include $10,000 per month, or $120,000 per year, in the fixed break-even base.	Charging it again as a percentage of revenue.
General Network Management Software	Fixed	Include $2,500 per month as fixed overhead for the planning range.	Scaling it with revenue when the model treats it as flat.
Office Utilities & Internet	Fixed	Include $800 per month as office overhead, separate from charger electricity.	Combining office utilities with wholesale charging power.

How does break-even change from a lean opening month to base use and full utilization for an EV charging station?

Scenario table

Break-even improves as revenue rises and variable costs take a smaller share of sales. The model reaches break-even by Month 13, so the early gap matters most before the site fills up.

Scenario figures are planning assumptions, not guarantees, and actual results will move with site use, power costs, and staffing.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean opening case	$87,500	$17,063	$77,333	80.5%	-$6,896	Revenue stays below break-even, so monthly cash burn continues.
Base Year 2 case	$302,083	$55,583	$97,750	81.6%	$148,750	Revenue clears break-even with a solid cushion above fixed costs.
Full Year 3 case	$683,333	$116,834	$131,917	82.9%	$434,700	Revenue sits far above break-even, so profit scales quickly.

What breaks the break-even plan for an EV charging station?

Stress test

You're balanced in the base plan, but the cushion is thin. A 15% revenue miss, a 10% jump in fixed costs, or 5 points of margin loss can push the site back into a monthly gap.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$96,066	$0 gap	Any slip in volume or power cost hits cash fast.
Revenue shortfall	Monthly revenue falls 15% to $74,375.	$96,066	$17,461 gap	Slow charging volume is the first stress.
Fixed-cost increase	Fixed monthly costs rise 10% to $85,067.	$105,673	$9,607 gap	Lease, software, and security push the floor up.
Margin pressure	Contribution margin falls 5 points to 75.5%.	$102,428	$6,362 gap	Higher wholesale electricity or maintenance cuts spread.
Combined pressure	Revenue falls 15%, fixed costs rise 10%, and margin falls 5 points.	$124,980	$28,914 gap	A three-way miss overwhelms the base case.

Is the site, utility load, and cash runway ready before you commit to the charging build?

Founder checklist

Test the commitment against the Month 13 break-even and the Month 12 cash trough before you order chargers or sign the lease. The model only works if traffic, power capacity, and staffing line up with the $24K monthly fixed load and Year 1 revenue of $1.05M.

1Power Load$4.28M capex

Confirm utility capacity and demand charges before you release the $4.28 million build, because the charger, power-upgrade, and install schedule all depend on that load.

2Lease Stack$24K/mo fixed

Verify the $10,000 site lease, the 3.0% revenue share, parking turnover, operating hours, and site security before you sign, because that fixed load sets the break-even floor.

3Unit Margin80.5% CM

Pressure-test Year 1 unit economics at 80.5% contribution margin so the first-year revenue plan can carry the fixed load.

4Staff Ramp$640K payroll

Stage hiring against the $640,000 Year 1 payroll and the field technician ramp, because uptime and repair speed drive station revenue.

5Cash Trough-$3.497M trough

Hold cash for the Month 12 low point, since the model dips to negative $3.497 million before break-even in Month 13.

6Traffic Proof$1.05M Y1

Validate local traffic, fleet contracts, and opening utilization against the $1.05 million Year 1 revenue target, or the launch won’t cover the fixed base.