Sales of electric vehicles hit a record-breaking 1.3 million in 2024, according to Cox Automotive, increasing 12 percent in the final quarter of 2024. That’s good news for the industry and for consumers, but there are still hurdles on the horizon. For instance, challenges remain in developing the charging infrastructure needed to support the growing number of EVs on U.S. roadways.
At the end of 2024, the United States had nearly 192,000 public electric vehicle charging ports, according to the Federal Highway Administration, spread across more than 64,600 charging locations. That sounds like a lot, but compare that with Europe, which had almost 750,000 public charge points at the end of 2023, according to a report by Autovista Group, a division of J.D. Power.
An estimated 33 million EVs will be on U.S. roads by 2030 and 1.25 million public charging stations will be needed to support them, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy. Despite those estimates, there’s little urgency in planning for that eventuality, especially as automakers evaluate how policy changes under President Donald Trump might affect the EV industry.
“In an ideal world, public infrastructure would precede demand for it, (but) in our world, it’s hard to justify spending money on something there isn’t a demonstrated need for,” said Sean Tucker, lead editor at Kelley Blue Book, a consumer automotive website.
“There is likely to be push and pull between the number of EVs and the network for charging them for many years,” he added. “What’s important to remember is that most EV charging happens at home — we’ll never have public chargers like we have gas stations because we won’t need that.”
Idle fees and TOU charges
Regardless of what the future holds, about 200,000 public chargers are already needed to meet current demand, said Electrify America spokesman Octavio Navarro. Expanding the number of public charging stations can be especially hard in urban areas, where real estate costs are high and fewer locations are available.
That means finding an open charger can sometimes be frustrating — especially if you see a vehicle still plugged in at a public charger long after their session is completed.
To counteract that, network providers have instituted crowd-management tools such as “idle fees” that help compel users to disconnect quickly when their vehicle is done charging. Idle fees can range from 40 cents to $1 per minute.
Tesla Superchargers apply an idle fee for every additional minute a vehicle remains connected to the Supercharger after it is charged. If the vehicle is moved within 5 minutes, the fee is waived.
The Tesla app allows owners to remotely monitor their vehicle, alerting them when their charge is nearly complete and again once it reaches the charge threshold.
EV owners should also be aware of time-of-use (TOU) upcharges. Also instituted by Tesla, charging fees are increased during peak hours when demand is high. It follows the same model as residential power providers, which charge more for electricity during high-use hours.
“It is a necessary evil,” said Navarro. The goal is to encourage drivers to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours when energy demand is low, which can help ease the strain on the electrical grid.
TOU plans vary by area, so check with your local utility company for details. Generally, electricity is cheapest from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and more expensive during peak periods from 2 to 9 p.m. and partial-peak periods of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m.
For example, the time-of-use plan by San Diego Gas & Electric—the utility that serves San Diego County and southern Orange County—features lower rates from midnight to 6 a.m. on weekdays and midnight to 2 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
Consider a quick top off
You can save yourself time at a public charging station — and help make room for other drivers — by charging your battery to no more than 80%. When connected to high-speed charging, a battery’s state of charge slows as the battery approaches 100%, so that last 15-20% can take as long as half-an-hour to charge.
If a vehicle’s range is 300 miles, charging to 80% will yield 240 miles and cut down on time spent waiting.
“Most EV drivers are learning they can just charge to 80% to get to the next charge,” said Navarro. “Overall, drivers are getting more electricity and spending less time charging.”
In fact, Electrify America is considering a top charge rate of 85 percent at all chargers. The charging session will automatically end and drivers will have 10 minutes to move their vehicle before idle fees are incurred.
That will reduce wait times and improve the charging experience for everyone, the company says.
“No matter the number of competitors, there are still not enough chargers,” Navarro said.
Mark Maynard has been writing about cars, their people, and products for 30 years. Find him at MaynardsGarage.com.
The news and editorial staffs of Southern California News Group and The San Diego Union-Tribune had no role in this post’s preparation.