US Passes 200,000 Public EV Charging Ports!

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One of our readers, Rajan Madan, noticed that public EV charging stations have just passed the 200,000 milestone in the US.

“Gas proponents will say that 170,000 gas stations have an average of 8 pumps, which puts their total above 1 million,” Rajan notes. “However, 70 million homes in the USA with garages have charging points as well.”

Indeed. One of the most important and least understood matters when it comes to electric vehicle life is how the refueling/recharging lifestyle changes. Most people think in terms of gas car life when they think about EV charging, and hence questions constantly asking about how long it takes to charge. In reality, what one needs when they have an electric car is a place or two where the car routinely parks for a long time where it can conveniently and reliably plug in. Ideally, that’s one’s home. A second best option is one’s workplace. For many people, that’s almost all they’ll ever need. However, for those who don’t have one of those options, that’s where these 200,000 public charging ports are important.

I have done most of my charging at a grocery store. Luckily, that’s where my best charging options have been during 6 years of EV ownership in the US, and that’s been plenty for my charging needs — even in a one-car family with two kids in elementary school. In fact, personally, I think grocery stores are the most critical place to be adding EV charging ports aside from homes and workplaces. Everyone needs groceries, and making that a widespread norm whether you are shopping at Target or Publix or Costco or Walmart or Whole Foods is the most important way to enable more EV ownership, in my humble opinion.

Also, on that matter, there need to be a variety of charging options at grocery stores. Many people will be fine using cheaper (or free) “level 2” charging stations that charge more slowly, while others will want fast “level 3” chargers. Both need to be offered for different types of customers.

Of course, there are all kinds of other places where people go routinely and public EV charging stations can be helpful. I now do a lot of charging next to an ice rink where my daughters take ice skating lessons approximately twice a week. There are sports facilities and parks, malls, gyms, coffee shops and restaurants. And, of course, for road trips, people need EV fast chargers right off the interstate — though, it feels like this is the area that has gotten the most attention and is closest to maturity, even if many more stations need to be added and surely will be added. Frankly, in time, we should have abundant EV charging options at all of these places and more. But it will take time to get there. We are currently at a momentous 200,000 unit milestone. I look forward to reaching 1 million! Unfortunately, while we got a huge boost in this regard with the NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program, the Trump administration is now trying to put that to a halt and is even trying to claw back some committed funding, and Republicans in Congress are expected to try to cancel the program — even though it helps red states more than blue states.