Transportation electrification: electric vehicle charging stations: payment methods.

Assembly Member Irwin’s measure reshapes how California EV charging stations handle payments by removing the requirement that users pay a subscription or join a club and directing regulators to keep payment methods up to date with evolving technology.

The bill stipulates that charging stations cannot require a subscription or membership as a condition of use, and they must disclose the total charges, including any roaming charges for nonmembers, at the point of sale. It allows stations to offer subscription or membership-based access only if nonsubscribers can still use the station through specified payment options. For stations first installed or publicly available after July 10, 2023, the bill requires a contactless payment method that accepts major credit and debit cards and either an automated toll-free number or SMS to initiate a charging session and submit payment. DC fast charging stations installed after that date must also include Plug and Charge capabilities meeting an ISO standard no later than July 10, 2024. The commission would have authority to modify, add to, or subtract from the required payment methods as technologies or cost impacts change.

In addition, the service provider or its designee must disclose to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory the station’s geographic location, fee schedule, accepted payment methods, and any roaming charges. Stations must be labeled in accordance with applicable federal regulations and, where commercially feasible, may include directional signage. The bill envisions the adoption of interoperability or roaming standards by the commission if no national standards exist by a given date, with such standards applying to major providers—defined by the bill as those operating a threshold number of publicly available stations—and designed to allow payment by users from other major providers and automakers, while preserving the option for bilateral or hub-based roaming agreements.

The measure also attaches conditional operative timing to coordination with Senate Bill 533, such that certain amendments would become operative only if both bills are enacted and AB 1423 is enacted after SB 533, with sequencing and timing specific to their enactment. Taken together, the provisions address access and pricing transparency, encourage standardized payment technologies, and establish a framework for cross-provider roaming within California’s evolving transportation electrification landscape.