EV charging network expands despite public doubts

In the race for EV charging dominance, several companies lead the pack in bolstering infrastructure, demonstrating the urgency to remove barriers to widespread adoption. 

Setting the stage: Overall, 56% of Americans are not too or not at all confident that the U.S. will build the necessary infrastructure to support large numbers of EVs, according to Pew Research. Yet, public perception could shift in the future as the U.S. EV charging network expands. 

Driving the news: There are now more than 183,000 publicly available charging ports across nearly 50,000 stations, an increase of more than 13,000 ports in the last three months, according to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Compared to 2021, this number has almost doubled, but it’s still well below President Biden’s goal of 500,000 chargers. 

Why it matters: The public is increasingly demanding a more capable and extensive EV charging network. Traditional OEMs seem eager to access Tesla's Supercharger network, and the industry is rapidly moving toward a standardized charging system. Theoretically, unifying the EV charging network could reduce anxiety among buyers and potential adopters. Remember when Apple ditched the lightning cable for a USB-C? Same idea applies.

What’s more: A Bloomberg Green analysis of federal data shows that there are now almost 8,200 “quick-turn” EV stations across the U.S. — one for every 15 gas stations.

By the numbers:

• Level 2 plugs – The largest number of public EV chargers in the U.S. (140,387) require a 240-volt connection and provide between 6 and 19 kilowatts of power. The Charging time is 4 to 10 hours, depending on battery capacity. 775 level 2 chargers are temporarily unavailable.

• DC fast charging stations – Three times fewer than Level 2 chargers for a total of 43,166. These chargers are most useful for long trips due to their quick charging times. By providing anywhere from 15 to over 350 kilowatts of power, these stations can charge a standard electric vehicle in 15 to 60 minutes. The latest numbers show that 8,697 DC fast charges are out of service.

• Level 1 charging locations – Only 232 locations for a total of 873 plugs. These work on 120-volt connections and offer less than 6 kilowatts of power. To recharge a dead battery, an EV has to stay plugged in overnight.

Major players: When discussing EV chargers, it’s impossible not to bring up Tesla. With a whopping 2,234 stations and 25,156 ports, Tesla's Supercharger network dominates DC Fast charging in the U.S. That's almost 25% of all DC fast charging stations and 66% of all DC Fast ports. EVgo has over 1,000 fast charging stations while ChargePoint has around 1,700.

Here's the kicker: New technology players are constantly improving battery capacity. It's only a matter of time before we see a major jump in how much juice a battery can hold. So, the question is, will the current charging standards even be able to handle these super-powered EVs of tomorrow? Drivers might need another upgrade sooner rather than later.

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