Plug In America Survey Finds EV Drivers Report Improved Public Charging Experience
Key Takeaways
- Satisfaction with public charging stations increased across key areas like quantity, availability, and reliability among EV drivers in 2024.
- Owners reported fewer issues with broken chargers, contributing significantly to overall improvements.
- Most drivers find charging sessions start reliably and can be completed without issues, but station maintenance and amenities need enhancement.
Public charging satisfaction is rising among electric vehicle drivers, according to Plug In America’s second annual public charging survey. The national nonprofit gathered input from more than 1,500 EV owners between May and June and found year-over-year improvement in satisfaction with charger quantity, availability, and reliability.
About 44% of respondents said they were satisfied with the number of public charging options in their area, up from 36% in 2024. Satisfaction with charger availability grew to 43%, compared with 37% last year. Reliability saw the largest increase, with nearly 46% of drivers reporting satisfaction — up from 38% a year ago.
“These results show we’re moving in the right direction, but there’s still work to do to ensure all EV drivers have access to reliable, welcoming public charging,” said Plug In America executive director Joel Levin. “Addressing charger reliability and expanding amenities at charging locations will be critical to achieving widespread EV adoption.”
Plug In America noted that overall improvements were driven largely by non-Tesla drivers, who reported fewer broken or nonfunctional chargers than in last year’s survey. Tesla owners continued to rate their charging experience highly, citing stronger reliability, more chargers per site, and better station locations.
Functionality also improved. Fifty-five percent of respondents said their charging session consistently starts on the first try, while 73% said charging reliably continues until the vehicle reaches its intended level. Seventy-two percent reported that disconnecting the charger at the end of a session is consistently easy.
Despite the gains, EV drivers say the basics still need attention. Respondents pointed to charger reliability as their top priority, along with improved lighting, cleanliness, and other amenities at charging sites. Fewer than half said public charging stations are consistently well-maintained or provide a welcoming environment.
The full report is available at PlugInAmerica.org/survey/insights/