What does electric vehicle dispatch fee mean?

[VonHazel]

Electric vehicle dispatch fee refers to the charge incurred when users park shared bikes outside the designated service areas marked on the shared bike parking map. Since the bikes are parked outside the operational zone, a dispatch fee is applied. Electric vehicles, also known as electric-driven vehicles, are powered by electricity and are categorized into AC electric vehicles and DC electric vehicles. Generally, the term 'electric vehicle' refers to vehicles that use batteries as their energy source, converting electrical energy into mechanical motion through components like controllers and motors, with speed adjusted by controlling the current. The battery serves as the power source for electric vehicles, with most equipped with lead-acid batteries due to their low cost and high cost-effectiveness. These rechargeable and reusable batteries are commonly referred to as lead-acid batteries.

[DiLilliana]

Last time I rented a shared e-bike, I encountered a relocation fee. The station clearly showed available bikes, but after searching for a while, I found all the low-battery ones had been moved away. Operators periodically need to manually relocate bikes to popular areas or charging stations, and the fuel and labor costs for this vehicle relocation are significant. It's similar to a food delivery fee—if you request a specific bike to be delivered to a designated location, naturally you'll have to pay extra. Some platforms call this a 'vehicle delivery fee.' Before renting, make sure to check the pricing rules, as this fee is only charged if you actively opt for the bike delivery service.

[VanNolan]

Simply put, the car you want isn't parked at the usual rental spot, so they charge a handling fee for driving it over. Shared electric vehicles are different from bikes—they need to consider battery levels. Operators have to move vehicles daily based on backend data, relocating low-battery ones near charging stations and distributing crowded areas' vehicles to less popular spots. I've seen people in a hurry in the morning pay an extra 30 yuan dispatch fee to have the car waiting at their doorstep for convenience. This fee isn't included in the rental cost; it's settled separately, and you can see the details when scanning the QR code.

[DiEthan]

The essence is the labor cost of vehicle dispatching. A friend in this industry told me that nighttime operations are the busiest, requiring vehicles to be moved from commercial areas to residential areas, and those needing charging to be concentrated and sent back to warehouses. If a user books an urgent ride during the morning rush hour and specifies a vehicle at a certain location, they have to send someone specifically to drive the car there and position it properly. This labor cost is the dispatching fee. However, for regular car rentals, if you accept the platform's automatic vehicle assignment, this fee is usually not charged. Due to the involvement of charging, the dispatching frequency for electric vehicles is much higher than for shared bikes.

[StColton]

Last year, I was charged twice before figuring it out: one was the designated drop-off service fee, and the other was the vehicle maintenance fee. The platform adjusts vehicle distribution based on usage rates, such as transporting excess cars from tourist areas back to subway stations. These relocation costs are factored into the dispatch fee. When you open the car rental app, pay attention—if you choose 'any available vehicle,' it’s usually free, but specifying 'the third car at the east gate of Building A' may trigger dispatch charges. Special periods are even more expensive; I’ve seen fees as high as 80 during the Spring Festival.