Level 3 DC fast charging requires more than installing equipment. A successful project must account for electrical capacity, utility upgrades, transformer requirements, civil work, equipment cost, demand charges, payment processing, networking, maintenance, insurance, customer support, and long-term operating responsibility.
Furst Charge helps qualifying property owners evaluate a DCFC structure that fits the site, the investment level, and the parties involved.
Depending on the opportunity, Furst Charge may evaluate:
Before revenue is divided between Furst Charge, the property owner, investors, lenders, or other approved parties, the charging station must first pay its operating obligations.
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Distributable Net Revenue =
Gross Charging Revenue
− Approved Operating Expenses
− Debt Service and Required Reserves
Party Distribution =
Distributable Net Revenue × Agreed Revenue-Share Percentage
Important: An 80/20 split generally means 80% and 20% of the remaining distributable net revenue—not 80/20 of gross customer charging revenue—unless the parties specifically agree otherwise in writing.
Best for: Property owners that want to own the asset, control the site, retain most project upside, and participate in the long-term value of the charging hub.
| Item | Example annual amount |
|---|---|
| Gross DCFC charging revenue | $600,000 |
| Electricity purchased from utility | ($240,000) |
| Demand charges and utility riders | ($54,000) |
| Network, payment processing, and roaming fees | ($30,000) |
| Maintenance, repairs, monitoring, and support | ($42,000) |
| Insurance, communications, and site services | ($18,000) |
| Operating reserve contribution | ($16,000) |
| Total approved operating expenses | ($400,000) |
| Distributable net revenue | $200,000 |
| Party | Revenue share | Example annual payout |
|---|---|---|
| Property owner | 80% | $160,000 |
| Furst Charge | 20% | $40,000 |
| Total distributed | 100% | $200,000 |
The property owner takes the larger share because the owner funded the project and accepted the greater upfront capital risk. Furst Charge earns a smaller percentage for operating the chargers, managing the network, handling support, coordinating maintenance, and helping protect uptime and customer experience.
This structure is often appropriate where a property owner wants a long-term income-producing asset but does not want to build an in-house EV charging operations team.
Best for: Qualified public-facing properties that want to preserve capital and provide a DC fast-charging amenity without paying the full equipment and construction cost.
| Item | Example annual amount |
|---|---|
| Gross DCFC charging revenue | $750,000 |
| Electricity purchased from utility | ($292,000) |
| Demand charges and utility riders | ($72,000) |
| Network, payment processing, and roaming fees | ($38,000) |
| Maintenance, repairs, monitoring, and support | ($52,000) |
| Insurance, communications, and site services | ($21,000) |
| Capital replacement reserve | ($25,000) |
| Total approved operating expenses | ($500,000) |
| Distributable net revenue | $250,000 |
| Party | Revenue share | Example annual payout |
|---|---|---|
| Furst Charge | 80% | $200,000 |
| Property owner / site host | 20% | $50,000 |
| Total distributed | 100% | $250,000 |
Furst Charge receives the larger share because it has assumed the project-development, equipment, construction, financing, operating, maintenance, utilization, and asset-performance risk.
The property owner can receive recurring participation in the charging opportunity without committing the same level of capital as an owner-funded deployment.
A project may also use a fixed site-host lease payment, a minimum annual payment, a percentage-of-revenue payment, or a hybrid of fixed compensation plus revenue share. The right structure depends on the site’s projected revenue, capital requirements, utility costs, and contract term.
Best for: Owners with strong locations that are willing to invest alongside Furst Charge but want to avoid carrying the full cost of a DCFC project.
| Contribution category | Property owner | Furst Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Civil work, parking modifications, and site preparation | $150,000 | — |
| Utility and electrical upgrades | $250,000 | $100,000 |
| DCFC equipment and commissioning | — | $450,000 |
| Development, design, deployment, and launch support | — | $100,000 |
| Total example contribution | $400,000 | $650,000 |
The revenue split does not have to exactly match the initial capital contribution. It can reflect the value of site control, equipment ownership, development work, risk allocation, ongoing operating obligations, and future capital responsibilities.
| Item | Example annual amount |
|---|---|
| Gross DCFC charging revenue | $900,000 |
| Electricity purchased from utility | ($350,000) |
| Demand charges and utility riders | ($88,000) |
| Network, payment processing, and roaming fees | ($45,000) |
| Maintenance, repairs, monitoring, and support | ($60,000) |
| Insurance, communications, and site services | ($25,000) |
| Reserve for equipment replacement and major repairs | ($32,000) |
| Total approved operating expenses | ($600,000) |
| Distributable net revenue | $300,000 |
| Party | Revenue share | Example annual payout |
|---|---|---|
| Property owner | 60% | $180,000 |
| Furst Charge | 40% | $120,000 |
| Total distributed | 100% | $300,000 |
This structure works when both parties bring material value to the project.
For example, the owner may fund site-specific infrastructure, provide a long-term ground lease, contribute electrical upgrades, and provide a strategic high-traffic location. Furst Charge may supply the DC fast chargers, lead development, operate the network, manage pricing, oversee maintenance, and provide the technology and customer-service platform.
The agreement should clearly define:
Best for: Larger DCFC hubs, strategic highway locations, redevelopment sites, projects with substantial utility upgrades, or opportunities where the property owner and Furst Charge want to limit their direct capital requirement.
For illustration only:
Remaining distributable cash is split:
| Item | Example annual amount |
|---|---|
| Gross DCFC charging revenue | $1,200,000 |
| Electricity purchased from utility | ($480,000) |
| Demand charges and utility riders | ($115,000) |
| Network, payment processing, and roaming fees | ($60,000) |
| Maintenance, repairs, monitoring, and support | ($78,000) |
| Insurance, communications, property support, and administration | ($37,000) |
| Major repair and equipment replacement reserve | ($30,000) |
| Total approved operating expenses | ($800,000) |
| Cash flow before debt service | $400,000 |
| Annual debt service and lender-required reserves | ($140,000) |
| Cash flow available for distributions | $260,000 |
| Investor preferred return / priority distribution | ($60,000) |
| Remaining cash for 50/30/20 split | $200,000 |
| Party | Priority payment | Share of remaining cash | Total example annual payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investor | $60,000 | $60,000 | $120,000 |
| Furst Charge | — | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Property owner / site host | — | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Total distributed | $60,000 | $200,000 | $260,000 |
The investor receives a priority distribution because it supplied capital and accepted financing or investment risk. After that preferred return is paid, the remaining distributable cash is divided among the parties according to the negotiated agreement.
This type of structure can make a larger DCFC project possible where the project has strong site fundamentals but requires significant capital for utility service, transformers, switchgear, civil construction, charging equipment, and ongoing reserves.
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| Scenario | Primary capital provider | Expenses paid first? | Example post-expense revenue split | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A — Owner-funded | Property owner | Yes | Owner 80% / Furst Charge 20% | Owner wants maximum control and long-term asset upside |
| B — Furst Charge-funded | Furst Charge or Furst Charge-arranged capital | Yes | Furst Charge 80% / Site host 20% | Qualified site host seeking low upfront cost |
| C — Co-funded | Property owner and Furst Charge | Yes | Owner 60% / Furst Charge 40% | Both parties contribute capital or material project value |
| D — Investor-backed | Investor or lender, with Furst Charge and site host participation | Yes, plus debt service and priority investor payments | Example: Furst Charge 50% / Investor 30% / Site host 20%, after investor priority payout | Larger or more capital-intensive DCFC hubs |
The same concept can be shown monthly for a site host or prospective partner.
| Item | Monthly example |
|---|---|
| Gross charging revenue | $62,500 |
| Approved operating expenses | ($41,667) |
| Distributable net revenue | $20,833 |
| Furst Charge share — 80% | $16,666 |
| Property owner/site-host share — 20% | $4,167 |
Under this example, the site host does not receive 20% of the $62,500 gross charging revenue. The site host receives 20% of the $20,833 remaining after approved operating expenses have been paid.
To avoid confusion, the agreement should identify in advance which costs are paid before revenue distributions. Typical DCFC operating expenses may include:
The agreement should also require that costs be commercially reasonable, documented, and directly related to the charging operation. A site host should not be surprised by unexplained deductions before distributions are calculated.
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Every DCFC revenue-share agreement should clearly address:
| Topic | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Gross revenue definition | Defines which customer payments and other income enter the project revenue pool |
| Approved expense definition | Determines which costs are paid before distributions |
| Utility-cost treatment | Electricity and demand charges can materially affect DCFC economics |
| Revenue-share percentage | Identifies how remaining distributable cash is divided |
| Payment timing | Monthly, quarterly, annual, or another agreed schedule |
| Reporting rights | Gives parties access to charging revenue, expenses, uptime, usage, and payout records |
| Minimum payment or lease | Determines whether the site host receives a fixed amount regardless of utilization |
| Reserve accounts | Creates funding for major repairs, charger replacement, or future upgrades |
| Equipment ownership | Defines who owns chargers, transformers, switchgear, and related infrastructure |
| Maintenance responsibility | Clarifies who is responsible for repairs, uptime, customer support, and field service |
| Incentive ownership | Identifies who receives rebates, tax credits, grants, and utility make-ready contributions |
| Contract term and renewal | Supports underwriting and helps protect long-term site access |
| Early termination and buyout rights | Defines what happens if the owner sells the property or either party exits |
| End-of-term asset disposition | Determines whether equipment is removed, transferred, renewed, or purchased |
All figures above are illustrations for discussion and website education only. Actual DC fast-charging revenue, operating expenses, utility demand charges, construction costs, available incentives, financing costs, site-host payments, and party distributions vary materially by location and must be confirmed through a project-specific feasibility study, utility review, underwriting model, and executed agreement.
Furst Charge evaluates each DCFC opportunity based on electrical capacity, traffic, public access, local EV demand, projected utilization, utility tariffs, demand-charge exposure, construction cost, site-control term, incentive availability, and long-term operating requirements. The Cartersville base study, for example, identified utility coordination, make-ready review, civil engineering, interconnection planning, and demand-charge strategy as central to the economics of a proposed 1,200 kW DCFC hub.
Illustrative examples only. Actual project revenue, expenses, payouts, financing terms, incentives, and funding eligibility vary by site.