• calabast@lemm.ee
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    6 months ago

    Orange Charger bills landlords based on energy usage instead of the number of outlets installed. So far, the company has installed about 2,000 units nationwide.

    “You have no downside to install 50 outlets day one,” Johnson said. “We only charge when the device is used.”

    But it also says the chargers cost $600 or $750, plus more for installation. Do they charge for both? Either way, I guess it’s the apartment owner’s choice, but god damn I am sick of everyone trying to get a subscription or on-going payment out of me.

    • credo@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      This doesn’t sound like a subscription, so much as consumption based billing. They make their money back by cornering the building-level market (perhaps landlords can put in competing chargers?) and charging a higher charging fee… okay that’s confusing. Charging a higher “fillup” fee.

    • cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de
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      6 months ago

      And of course those expensive chargers will become bricks when the company goes out of business or just decides to stop supporting them.

      • reddig33@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Maybe. Or maybe someone buys them out, or the landlord is given the option to flip them open for free use. The good news is it should leave the infrastructure in place.

        • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          Hahahahaha, right, sure.

          Not like we don’t have plenty of current dead hardware as an example of just this issue.

          How about we build on knowns, rather than corporate promise fairytales?

      • IphtashuFitz@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Once the infrastructure (conduit, circuit breakers, cable, etc.) is in place then swapping out the charger at the end of it is pretty much trivial.