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#64: Dynamic pricing reshapes charging behavior

Industry pricing elasticity, FY26 DOT Funding Status, Voltpost chargers begin to scale

Author

Steve Taylor
January 17, 2026

The Business and Policy of Charging Infrastructure

The 3 big stories

  • NBER study shows dynamic pricing more than doubles EV charging demand

  • FY26 Transportation Appropriations Bill not done yet

  • Voltpost and EVSE launch scalable lamppost chargers for U.S. cities

Plus, featured jobs and news.

Steve

Industry News

New research from the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals how price signals shape public EV charging behavior, drawing from a nationwide experiment across the UK involving 110,000 drivers and approximately 60% of public charging sites. Researchers randomly assigned different prices to public chargers to approximate marginal cost pricing during low-electricity-cost hours.

The results showed a 40% price cut increased platform-wide charging activity by over 117%, while a modest 15% reduction still drove a 30% increase. About half of this increase came from drivers switching between charging apps rather than creating entirely new sessions. This suggests that lower pricing doesn't just inflate usage, it redirects when and where drivers charge, smoothing demand curves and easing grid peaks.

The study reveals short-run demand elasticities far larger than most operators anticipate, highlighting that cost transparency and strategic pricing are powerful levers for both public charging policy and grid integration. 

Steve’s Take

This paper provides some of the strongest evidence to date that pricing is a strategic lever, not just a revenue line item. Flat or opaque pricing leave both money and efficiency unrealized. Armed with this data on price sensitivity, regulators and operators can now design off-peak discounts, time-of-use rates, demand charges that steer charging to optimal windows. The business case is compelling. Dynamic pricing reduces grid stress, creates higher asset utilization, and lower consumer costs. All three stakeholders win, which is uncommon in infrastructure plays.

While UK findings don't map directly onto U.S. markets, the core signal of consumer price responsiveness is clear. As electrification accelerates, dynamic pricing frameworks deserve a central role in the national conversation on EV charging policy design.

Power and Policy

Status of FY26 Federal Transportation Appropriations

This past week the Senate cleared legislation that would fund a slew of federal agencies through September, taking care of one bucket of spending measures ahead of the Jan. 30 deadline to avert a government shutdown. The three-bill package covers the EPA, NASA and the departments of Energy, Justice, Interior and Commerce. Independent trade agencies would also be funded, along with federal science and water programs.

The “T-HUD” appropriations bill—which covers Transportation and Housing—has not yet passed. With two weeks remaining before the continuing resolution expires, here’s a look at what's in the House and Senate versions of that bill as far as proposed FY 2026 transportation funding levels:

Topline Funding Differences

  • House: Appropriates about $21.8 billion in new discretionary DOT funding, which combined with mandatory funding gives approximately $105.1 billion total (a slight decrease compared with FY2025).

  • Senate: Proposes about $26.5 billion in new discretionary DOT funding, totaling roughly $109.8 billion overall (a modest increase over FY2025).

  • Difference: ~$4.7 billion more in Senate discretionary DOT funding than in the House bill. 

Major DOT Program-Level Differences

Transit (FTA & Capital Investment Grants)

  • The Senate funds the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) at significantly higher levels (~$16.9 billion). This Includes Capital Investment Grants (CIG) near full statutory levels (~$1.95 billion plus IIJA advanced appropriations). The House has dramatically lower CIG funding levels with the net Impact being that the Senate’s transit investment exceeds the House by billions of dollars.

Rail and Amtrak

  • The Senate provides substantial funding increases for Amtrak and passenger rail, including total FRA funding ~$2.9 billion with Amtrak at ~$2.4 billion.

  • The House zeroes out new Amtrak funding in its text, relying on limited IIJA transfers instead.

Highways and Bridges

  • The Senate funds federal-aid highways at robust levels (~$64 billion including Highway Trust Fund amounts).

  • The House provides lower overall DOT funding, which likely translates to comparatively reduced highway program growth.

Other Programs

  • BUILD / RAISE Grants:

    • The Senate funds this competitive infrastructure grant program (~$250 million).

    • The House does not include new funding.

  • National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program:

    • Both use IIJA advance funds, but the House repurposes more IIJA funding; the Senate uses less transfer and emphasizes NEVI guidance implementation.

Bottom Line

House Approach

  • Lower overall DOT discretionary spending compared with FY2025

  • Greater reliance on transferring federal funding from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) accounts into FY26 appropriations.

  • Deeper cuts/limitations to programs like CIG and streetcar/NEVI transfers.

Senate Approach

  • Higher discretionary funding; flat or modestly increased overall levels.

  • Sustains or increases major modal programs (transit, Amtrak, FAA).

  • Less reliance on repurposed IIJA money, preferring real appropriations.

Emerging Tech

Voltpost is moving from prototypes to production, scaling its lamppost charging solution across U.S. cities through a partnership with EVSE LLC.

The new Voltpost Air mounts directly onto existing streetlights and parking lot poles, with installations completed in hours instead of the months typically required for curbside charging. This approach cuts construction disruption and leverages existing infrastructure, which creates a competitive advantage in dense cities where space constraints and permitting bottlenecks delay deployment.

EVSE's patented AutoCoil retractable cable system is the linchpin, protecting cables from vandalism and weather while keeping sidewalks unobstructed. AT&T connectivity links each unit to Voltpost's software platform, allowing remote management for utilities, municipalities, and private hosts.

Deploying lamppost charging at scale could be transformative for populations without home charging, including apartment dwellers and urban commuters, significantly expanding the addressable public charging market.

Steve's Take

Lamppost charging is transitioning from a pilot to a scalable deployment. By repurposing streetlight poles and integrating retractable cables, Voltpost and EVSE compress both timelines and costs. This could meaningfully accelerate charger density in cities where EV adoption is increasing.

This is a low-capex and low-friction lever that city officials can pull immediately. The question is how well they can integrate these assets into network management, dynamic pricing, and parking enforcement.

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⚡️Steve and Rob

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