I Calculated With My Hyundai Ioniq 6 That Electrify America's Membership Pays For Itself After Just 80 Miles Of Charging, While Tesla's Plan Requires Over 200 Miles

A Hyundai Ioniq 6 owner has emerged with a spreadsheet and a mission. 

Posting under the name DemoRevolution, he laid out his findings on Reddit for the r/electricvehicles crowd, demonstrating how Electrify America’s modest $7 subscription pays for itself after just 80 miles of charging, while Tesla’s plan takes more than 200. It is the kind of practical detective work that would have felt out of place in the age of big-block muscle but feels absolutely essential today.

Here is the backbone of his analysis, in his own words:

“I ran some numbers for EA and Tesla's membership fees. Here's my input: Tesla fee: $12.99 + tax. EA fee: $7.00.

Price per kWh: Tesla off-peak (OP): $0.32/$0.46 (member/non-member). Tesla peak (P): $0.45/$0.64. EA: $0.48/$.64.

Car efficiency vs break-even mileage: 2.0mi/kWh: Tesla OP: 204 miles (102kwh, $47). Tesla P: 156 miles (78kwh, $50). EA: 80 miles (40kwh, $26). 3.0mi/kWh: Tesla OP: 306 miles Tesla P: 234 miles EA: 120 miles 3.5mi/kWh: Tesla OP: 357 miles Tesla P: 273 miles EA: 140 miles 4.0mi/kWh: Tesla OP: 408 miles Tesla P: 312 miles EA: 160 miles.

Again, these are the minimum number of miles you'd need to add through a fast charger for you to make back what you spent on the membership.

What this shows is that you should basically always pay for the EA membership if you plan on charging there. 

I don't know what car would be interested in charging under 40kWh if you plan on using it. For the others, it will kind of depend on how much you're driving. A single road trip might not be worth it if you just need to top up on the way home.

The other two things to remember are: Try to only pay for one membership if you can. If possible, don't use auto-renewal. 

The 3,4,5 days between when your membership ends and the next time you need to charge will save you money. It's not like a streaming service where you might want it every day, and renewal is fairly easy.

Edit 8/14/2025: I just charged with a paid EA+ plan for the first time. It forces you into auto pay, but if you force it back to the regular plan immediately after you activate, then it will cancel auto pay while keeping you on premium until the end of the month. It's so easy to switch back and forth that you should almost never actually keep the autopay active!"

LoneStarGut, representing Texas, highlighted how charging rates vary wildly across the country, boasting of Supercharger pricing as low as fifteen cents off-peak. Another user responded with disbelief, noting that the Texan’s “off-peak rate is cheaper than my home rate.” In that exchange lies the unavoidable reality that Ioniq 6 economics are as much about geography as efficiency.

Hyundai Ioniq 6: Performance & Ownership Highlights

• Ranked highest among mass-market EVs in the 2025 JD Power EV Experience Ownership study, standing 26 points above the BEV segment average. 
• The Limited Long Range AWD model delivers 320 hp and 446 lb-ft, propelling it to 0–60 mph in about 5 seconds, compared to the smoother, range-focused RWD version. 
• The RWD Limited offers 361 mi EPA range, whereas the AWD with 20‑in wheels drops to ~270 mi, a conscious compromise for control and agility. 
• One owner’s review noted a $20 charge at a Hyundai dealership that prompted an unexpected detour, spotlighting real-world EV charging quirks.

The conversation then turned to strategy. caj_account argued that the value of memberships depends less on theoretical savings and more on trip length. If a driver only needs one or two charging sessions, skipping subscriptions entirely may be wiser. 

Yet if a journey stretches across hundreds of miles, a membership quickly transforms from optional to essential. In this way, charging has become a game of foresight, one part arithmetic and one part logistics.

No online debate is complete without a challenge, and HD_Thoreau_aweigh offered one by recalculating the Electrify America break-even point at 175 miles rather than 160. 

How Reddit Responded 

DemoRevolution acknowledged the correction, explaining that his spreadsheet worked in two-kilowatt-hour increments. It was a small but telling moment. In the combustion era, such discrepancies were shrugged off at the pump. In the EV era, precision matters, and every decimal is an argument waiting to happen.

As the thread grew, frustration surfaced about the very act of juggling memberships. One commenter suggested waiting until arriving at a charger before signing up, while another admitted to joining multiple networks out of desperation. 

The idea of filling up a car once required only a twenty-dollar bill and a stop at the nearest gas station. Today, it often requires apps, accounts, and a careful reading of billing cycles. Convenience has been traded for optimization.

Hyundai Ioniq 6 N: What You Need To Know

• Unveiled under the "Pure Flow, Refined" concept, the Ioniq 6 N trim introduces aerodynamic enhancements like wider fenders and a rear wing for stability at speed. 
• Hyundai showcased the Ioniq 6 N at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, cementing its image as a performance EV with motorsport attitude. 
• Fans on social platforms praise the Ioniq 6’s styling as notably refined and attractive, earning consistent design approval.

Yet the underlying truth shines through the noise. Electrify America’s plan is a clear winner for most drivers using its network, paying for itself after as little as a single road trip. 

Tesla’s membership, more expensive and slower to break even, makes sense primarily for frequent travelers who can reliably take advantage of off-peak rates. And as DemoRevolution’s edit pointed out, the real secret is managing subscriptions actively, turning them on when needed, then canceling before autopay drains the wallet.

What began as one Ioniq 6 driver’s spreadsheet has become a parable for modern motoring. Where drivers once argued about which gas station had the best coffee or cheapest premium fuel, they now gather on Reddit to parse subscription models and charging efficiencies. It is different, yes, but in many ways familiar. 

The automobile has always been about more than the machine itself. It has always been about how people use it, how they pay for it, and how they bend the system to their advantage. 

Have you ever done the math on something like this?
Let us know in the comments below! 

Image Sources: Hyundai Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.