Questions to ask before you sign an EV charging host agreement
Before you sign an EV (electric vehicle) charging host agreement, get every Provider to answer the same questions in writing: who owns the chargers, how you earn, who sets the price drivers pay, who pays for power and upgrades, and how you get out. Put the answers side by side. The charger brand comes last.
Print this page, or send it to each Provider before your next meeting.
Write your own answers first
- How many parking slots can you give up, and for how many years?
- Who parks in those slots today, and how long do they stay?
- Do you want income with no work, or more income with more involvement?
- Would you want to own the chargers one day?
Skip this, and each Provider sizes the project to its own model. You end up comparing two different projects.
Ask every Provider the same questions, in writing
- Which deployment model is behind this offer? You own it (you pay to build). Zero capital expenditure (the Provider builds and pays you rent or a share). Charge point operator (the Provider builds and runs everything, and you get a share). Hybrid (you split the cost). Equipment lease (you pay a fixed amount each month for the chargers and their operation, and keep the margin).
- Who owns the chargers during the agreement and at the end? If it's a lease, can you buy them at the end, and at what price?
- Is it fixed rent or a share of revenue? If it's a share, how does the agreement define "revenue": what drivers pay, or what's left after electricity and fees?
- Who sets the price drivers pay, and can it change without telling you?
- Who pays the power bill and any demand charge, and is there a separate meter?
- If the site needs a grid or transformer upgrade, who pays, and is that in the contract? Ask for the licensed engineer's power findings in writing.
- How long is the term, what does early exit cost, and who removes the equipment at the end?
- How many parking slots are reserved, for how many years, and can other cars use them?
- If a Provider did a free site assessment, is the report yours to keep, or is it tied to signing?
If one offer answers a question and another doesn't, ask again before you go further.
Slow down if
- you're shown a revenue figure before anyone has visited the site
- the answers on pricing control or exit come back vague
- you're asked to sign soon after a free assessment
A good Provider gives you time and puts its answers in writing.
The deal behind these questions
In 2026 we advised a commercial property owner in CALABARZON with offers from two DOE (Department of Energy) accredited Providers. Both stalled on the revenue share and on how the owner could leave the agreement. The owner turned both down. The plan is on hold for now, and that's a fair result: signing a long agreement and finding the problem in year three would have been worse.
When no offer fits, you can go back with your own terms, ask another accredited Provider, or wait.
About ZEEE Green
ZEEE Green Business Consultancy is an independent EV charging advisor based in Santo Tomas, Batangas, serving commercial property owners across CALABARZON. We assess whether a property suits EV charging and advise owners on how to plan and evaluate their charging options, including DOE-accredited charging Providers. We don't sell, install or operate chargers, and we don't broker, lease or sell property.
Own a commercial property in CALABARZON with an offer on the table? Book a free site screening. Limited slots each month. Call +63 993 208 7891.
This checklist is general guidance and not legal advice, so have a lawyer read any agreement before you sign it.