Public EV charging takes a step forward

Disappointing EV charging infrastructure has been a thorn in the side of drivers for years and is often touted as the primary barrier to widespread EV adoption. But new data reveals public charging satisfaction is moving in the right direction so far in 2024. 

Driving the news: According to J.D. Power, DC fast chargers continued to be the preferred EV charging method due to their speed. These chargers can fill up an EV from empty 80% in just 20 minutes to 1 hour, while it takes Level 2 chargers between 4-10 hours to do the same. 

• “DC fast charger speed is an important area of progress for the industry this year,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. “All charge-point operators improve in this area, particularly some of the non-Tesla networks, which is good news for the developing charging landscape.”

• Tesla's previously exclusive Supercharger network has become a key factor in boosting overall satisfaction with DC fast charging too. By opening up its charging infrastructure to non-Tesla EVs, the EV maker has meaningfully expanded charging options.

• With an index score of 743, Tesla and non-Tesla owners find the Supercharger network the most satisfying – outpacing the overall market by a decent margin.

Zoom in: The results from this analysis are promising, but non-charge visits remain an issue. In Q2, 19% of all EV owners said they visited a charger but were not able to charge their vehicle – pretty much on par with Q1.

The reasons? Out-of-service or unresponsive chargers were the primary culprits of the failed visits (61%). Lack of availability or long wait times affected 20%. Not surprising given the number of public charging stations hasn’t matched the rate of EV sales. Damage to the cable or connector was another reason for failed charging visits (10%).

Bottom line: Too often public charging is not a satisfying experience for EV owners because of a breaking down in communication between the charger and a vehicle’s software. But as charging companies roll out adapters and learn to “shake hands” with every automaker, satisfaction could continue rising.  All said and done, EV drivers simply want the peace of mind that comes with knowing they can charge their car whenever and wherever they need to.

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