Unexpected charging fee leads to higher costs for EV drivers across the Netherlands

Electric vehicle drivers in several Dutch cities unknowingly paid higher prices at public charging stations due to an unexpected surcharge introduced in January 2025. The price increase of 2 cents per kilowatt-hour was not reflected in the officially communicated rates, affecting drivers using charging cards at hundreds of locations. Charging providers TotalEnergies and Equans said they were unaware of the additional fee, attributing it to a third-party software company.

TotalEnergies and Equans responded to reports from a price comparison service and app developers who first identified the price discrepancy.

“TotalEnergies, like other charging point operators, was confronted with an unexpected surcharge from a charging service provider,” the company said in a statement. “As a result, some EV drivers are paying more than the communicated tariff. We regret this situation and understand the frustration it has caused.”

Equans also issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to fair and transparent pricing. “We regret that some electric vehicle drivers unexpectedly had to pay extra costs due to a surcharge introduced by one of our software providers since January 2025,” the company said.

The additional charge was first discovered by Maarten Hachmang, the founder of LaadpasTop10, a charging card comparison platform. Hachmang highlighted the issue in a LinkedIn post, stating that GreenFlux, a company that manages payment processing software for charging stations, was responsible for implementing the surcharge.

Tap Electric, a developer of EV charging apps, confirmed that the extra costs were hidden from all involved parties. They reported that drivers in cities including Amsterdam, Almere, Haarlem, Utrecht, Groningen, Drenthe, and Friesland had been unknowingly overcharged. Both LaadpasTop10 and Tap Electric have called for affected customers to be compensated.

DKV Mobility, the parent company of GreenFlux, rejected accusations of secretive price hikes, asserting that the additional costs were clearly communicated. According to a company spokesperson, the fee was related to roaming services, which allow EV drivers to charge their vehicles across different networks regardless of their charging card provider.

“GreenFlux communicated this price adjustment well in advance and through multiple channels to charging card providers,” the spokesperson said. “It is ultimately the responsibility of these providers to set their own tariffs and inform customers.”