EV Charging Is More Stable Than Ever — Regardless Of Media Reports

The convenience of home charging is an enormous benefit to battery-electric vehicle drivers. Of course, most of us who own an electric vehicle also drive far from home, and that’s where EV charging has proven to be a bit tricky and occasionally downright frustrating in past years.

Let’s be honest. Unless you had a Tesla and could tap into the Supercharger network, you’d expect broken chargers. Weird adapters required. Cars parked in the rare EV charging space for hours — and hours and hours. Oversized e-trucks blocking other charger space access. Locating a charger behind a car dealership, only to find it disabled.

But that was then; this is now. In the first three months of 2025, overall failure rates fell to 16%, the biggest improvement since the surveys began in 2021, according to JD Power. This summer, more EV drivers than ever will be able to charge without mishap on their lovely scenic road trips.

Could the days of fear of EV charging (FOEVC) be behind us?

Did you know there were about 55,200 fast chargers in the US in May, up from 42,200 just a year earlier? Those numbers come from the Alternative Fuels Data Center. These EV charging ports are designed to minimize downtime and maximize efficiency, allowing vehicles to quickly complete one task and move on to the next without significant delays.

The North American Charging Standard, developed by Tesla, now offers a further advantage of slimmer, lighter handles that are easier to plug into cars. Automakers are updating their cars so ports fit a lot more EV charging infrastructure; that allows drivers to recharge more quickly and get back on the road. And EV charging companies are building new stations.

In 2024, more than 1.3 million public charging points were added around the globe, representing an increase of more than 30% compared to the previous year. The charging points added in 2024 alone were approximately equal to the total number of points available in 2020. (It’s important to note that about two-thirds of that growth in public chargers has occurred in China.)

If Charging is Getting Good, Then Why are Fewer Drivers Thinking about EV Adoption?

The June 3 AAA EV survey reported that only 16% of US adults reported being “very likely” or “likely” to purchase a fully electric vehicle (EV) as their next car, the lowest percentage recorded of EV interest since 2019. The percentage of consumers indicated they would be “unlikely” or “very unlikely” to purchase an EV rose from 51% to 63%, the highest since 2022. These low satisfaction rates were despite the wide variety of electric vehicle models now available — over 75 options introduced in the past four years.

However, the primary reasons for buying EVs didn’t change in the AAA survey responses: gas savings, environmental concerns, and an appreciation for the lower maintenance costs associated with EVs.

Despite advancements in the EV industry and the growing availability of models, public perception regarding EV charging remains uncertain. Most people don’t know that they could be saving hundreds of dollars each year by switching to an EV. And why not? The corrupt Trump administration has done all it can to decimate EV expansion and reinvigorate the fossil fuel industry.

The US National EV Infrastructure program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed in 2021, allocated $5 billion to fund fast chargers along corridors. By the end of 2024 about $30 million had been spent on charging points that are now in operation. Critics of federal EV charging infrastructure funding say that it took too long for states to act on the federal opportunity.

Actually, the time delay in EV charging infrastructure rests in designs and approvals to be finalized. Once contracts are signed by all parties, permits are lined up, and hardware is delivered, construction only takes a couple of weeks. New EV charging facilities can be up and running very quickly once the behind-the-scenes work is done.

Nonetheless, in January 2025, Executive Order 14154 paused the disbursement of funds for a review of the processes, policies, and programs associated with EV charging grant selections, making future disbursements of the remaining unspent funds uncertain. The Big Bad Budget Bill ended up cutting the EV tax credits, with the last day to participate on September 30, 2025.

Electric vehicles continue to sell, regardless of clickbait-inspiring headlines and regressive political leaders. After all, transportation electrification is too important. US drivers indicate that they’ll be purchasing more than 100,000 secondhand EVs in the second quarter, according to preliminary estimates from Cox Automotive. Used EV sales are set to shoot up 27% from the first quarter and surge 45% year-on-year.

Motivations behind EV Adoption and Skepticism

Academics emphasize the importance of identifying motivations in public behavior. Various motivations can influence individual attitudes, such as the need for security, stability, achievement, social status, social justice, and a sense of responsibility for the future. The Trump administration has fed into a narrative in which to belong means to adhere to MAGA values.

Men, particularly, seem to be susceptible to the confluence of Trump condemnation of EVs and traditional masculine identity. Negative male attitudes toward EVs and reluctance to purchase EVs are consistent with masculinity contingency, which is a measure designed to assess the extent that a man’s self-worth is derived from his sense of masculinity. Less favorable attitudes about EVs, lower intention to purchase EVs, and higher likelihood of rating EVs as the least-preferred new vehicle purchase option seem connected to identity self-reflection.

Yes, misinformation and disinformation has blurred what could have been an exponential rise in EV adoption, but, as our CleanTechnica colleague Jake Richardson explains, electric vehicles are too “critical for human health and the environment to be shut down.” Scientific evidence, reasoning, logic, and facts point to the long-term adoption of EVs and an eventual ubiquitous EV charging infrastructure.

Final Thoughts about EV Charging

The turbulence in Washington reinforces the value of Generation180’s ​“I’ll Drive What She’s Driving” campaign. Policy can be very fragile, but trusted messengers and the clean energy constituencies that the non-profit is building is intended to have real staying power — regardless of who’s in power in Washington.

EVs have the lowest fuel cost of any vehicle type, based on a national average electricity price of 15.9 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). EVs also have the lowest maintenance costs among all models. Wondering which US state offers the best EV charging? It’s Massachusetts, with the most charging ports and EV stations.

Reports of recent EV charging mishaps are highly exaggerated. Yes, dealers have yet to create their lots as welcoming spaces for charging. Sure, it could mean that only their customers may have permission to charge, but other businesses have created incentives that cultivate their customer base in similar ways. But we in the EV world have high expectations for EV charging as the future becomes now.

It would help a lot of people if the media would take time to chronicle people like me and you who love their EVs and who find EV charging to be generally smooth and carefree. Tell your EV stories — here and anywhere you have a chance!