As the electric vehicle market continues its rapid expansion, the presence of an adequate number of EV charging points becomes vital to facilitate longer driving ranges and minimize wait times at chargers. Currently, the United States boasts approximately 140,000 public EV chargers spread across nearly 53,000 charging stations. However, these numbers still fall significantly short when compared to the 145,000 gas fueling stations nationwide.
State Rankings in EV Charging Infrastructure
A glance at the map reveals a concentration of electric vehicle charging points along the west and east coasts, while the Midwest region appears relatively barren, except for the state of Colorado. Leading the nation in EV charging infrastructure is California, boasting an impressive 15,182 charging stations, which constitute a remarkable 29% of all charging stations in America. Notably, California possesses nearly double the number of chargers compared to the combined total of the following three states: New York (3,085), Florida (2,858), and Texas (2,419).
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Ranking of States by Number of Charging Points:
- California: 15,182 (28.7%)
- New York: 3,085 (5.8%)
- Florida: 2,858 (5.4%)
- Texas: 2,419 (4.6%)
- Massachusetts: 2,328 (4.4%)
- Washington: 1,810 (3.4%)
- Colorado: 1,718 (3.2%)
- Georgia: 1,596 (3.0%)
- Maryland: 1,358 (2.6%)
- Pennsylvania: 1,260 (2.4%)
Notably, the states with the highest number of EV chargers correlate with the top four states in terms of GDP. California’s substantial lead is unsurprising, given its ambitious goal of completely phasing out the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
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Considering Speed and Cost: Identifying the Best States
Beyond the mere presence of charging points, two additional factors significantly impact the convenience of EV charging: cost and charger level availability. The nation currently lacks standardized pricing structures and consistent charger-level availability, resulting in a landscape that can be challenging to navigate.
Finding Free Charging Options
In the quest for free charging options, certain generous EV charging locations offer unlimited free charging or provide a specific time limit, ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours, before payment is required. Some charging stations situated in parking structures may only require a parking fee, while others implement a flat charging fee per session, charge based on kilowatt-hours consumed, or adopt an hourly rate.
Ranking of States by Number and Share of Free Charging points:
- California: 1,717 (11.3%)
- Florida: 673 (23.6%)
- New York: 662 (21.5%)
- Texas: 606 (25.1%)
- Maryland: 399 (29.4%)
- Georgia: 360 (22.6%)
- Washington: 358 (19.8%)
- Pennsylvania: 318 (25.2%)
- Colorado: 273 (15.9%)
- Massachusetts: 150 (6.4%)
Interestingly, while California leads in terms of the total number of free chargers within the state, it ranks second to last among the top 10 states when considering the share of chargers that offer 30 minutes or more of free charging, accounting for a mere 11%. In contrast, Maryland takes the lead in this aspect, with almost 30% of the state’s chargers providing a minimum of 30 minutes of free charging. On the other hand, Massachusetts proves to be the most conservative state among the top 10, with only 6% of its charging stations (150 in total) offering free charging for electric vehicle drivers.
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