Woman Buys Cadillac EV. Then They Offer Her A Deal On EVgo

The Cadillac Lyriq EV was already an attractive enough SUV to win over a Bakersfield, California, motorist to make the purchase last year, and the bonus of three years of free charging on the EVgo network seemed like an easy “yes.” But a viral TikTok reveals that many unexpected conditions and logistics can make the charge system offer a hindrance rather than a premium add-on.

The clip from happy Lyriq owner Serena Rodriguez (@serenarodriguez44) was shot outside of the SUV as it was charging on a sunny day at the EVgo station near her home. Rodriguez said she’d mostly relied on the complimentary home charger she’d received with the purchase but was pleased that an EVgo station had recently opened near her.

“I had no experience with electric vehicle charging. I didn't know anything about the different places you could charge, but it's free for three years, and so immediately I was like, ‘Yeah, I'll choose that,’” she says in the clip that’s been viewed more than 77,000 times. “I'm so happy that they finally got an EVgo charger in Bakersfield because the first year that we had the car, there were no EVgos here.”

EV Charging Location Matters

We see from the video evidence that GM has been using free or discounted public charging as a sweetener for new EV buyers for several years, typically through partnerships with companies like EVgo. For Lyriq buyers, this usually means a promotional credit that covers DC fast-charging sessions on the EVgo network for up to three years, activated through an app-based account tied to the vehicle.

That's a few more hoops to jump through than unlimited, no-strings-attached electricity for life, but for many drivers, it can significantly reduce public charging costs in the early years of ownership. Because the credit is only applicable at EVgo stations for DC fast charging, the arrangement created real limits and guardrails on usage that may, in some people's eyes, reduce the true value of the bonus.

The enticement is that fast charging often costs significantly more per kilowatt-hour than at home, where a Level 2 setup and overnight charging greatly reduce the per-mile costs compared to public charging. When all those variables and nuances are accounted for, the value of the EVgo promotion lies in providing the convenience of free public charging when a vehicle may need a battery boost quickly.

The early scarcity of an EVgo location near Rodriguez, right after her purchase, illustrates how geography shapes the usefulness of these deals. With no station nearby in Bakersfield for her first year of ownership, she fell into a class of motorists typical of those who live outside major metro areas, where charging build-outs are still uneven.

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In cities like Los Angeles, where fast chargers are far more common, a three-year EVgo credit might feel like a meaningful daily-use benefit. But in smaller markets or rural areas, it can end up being more of an occasional bonus than a core part of the ownership experience.

Costs Of Charging Networks

Much like electric vehicles themselves, EV charging networks are a rapidly evolving market, trying to simultaneously predict and respond to buying behaviors that are still largely undefined. For the most part, EVgo sits in the same practical category as most large public fast-charging networks: built for speed and coverage rather than being the cheapest way to own an electric vehicle.

For drivers who rely on public charging regularly, the pricing of public charging can add up quickly once manufacturer credits expire, especially in regions where per-kilowatt-hour rates fluctuate or peak pricing applies.

Currently, EVgo competes most directly with Electrify America and the DC fast-charging side of ChargePoint, both of which play a similar role in the fast-charging ecosystem. The experience across these networks can vary widely by location, with some sites offering consistent performance and others testing drivers' patience with wait times or reliability issues. For users, the real value of any charging perk, as shown in the video, depends heavily on the reliability and overall execution of the nearest available location.

Tesla's Supercharger Network still occupies a different tier in terms of scale and integration compared to other charging networks, with tighter software rooting and a denser footprint in many high-traffic corridors. In line with that, supercharging is also priced as a convenience product, not a bargain. As with other EVs, the biggest savings on operating costs for Tesla models come from charging at home.

Given all that fluctuation, GM’s incentive with EVgo functions less like a universal cost saver and more like a bridge to try to reduce friction during the transition to EV ownership. At its best, the promotion is a way to cover those painful moments of need when inexpensive home charging isn't available.

InsideEVs reached out to Rodriguez via direct message and commenting on the clip. We’ll update this if they respond.

 

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