Study: U.S. EV Charging Network Grew and Became More Reliable in 2024
It might not feel like it for some EV owners, but the U.S. charging grid kept pace with electric vehicle sales in 2024. A recent study from Paren, a data service provider for EV charging companies, which also found that the charging network improved reliability this year.
Paren’s study examined charging sessions during this year’s Thanksgiving travel week, which it described as being the “Super Bowl of fast charging.” Charging sessions increased almost 50 percent that week compared to the same time in 2023, and Paren found that the number of charging connectors grew by about the same percentage.
This is all good news for EV owners, who often find it a hassle trying to locate chargers on road trips. More chargers are a good thing for all owners, but the more interesting data from the study relates to reliability. Paren found that charger reliability improved by 3.4 points this year, climbing to an 85.5 percent rating.
Automakers have struggled with third-party charging companies’ ability to deliver a convenient, reliable charging experience for owners, leading many to join Tesla’s Supercharger network. While some vehicles will need adapters to charge as that transition happens, more reliable third-party charging options make it a lot easier to get around.
These results are likely due in part to the government’s funding. The Biden Administration promised vast sums of money to companies wanting to build the EV charging network, including several partnerships between automakers, fuel station providers, and others.
[Images: Shutterstock]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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When you're starting with such a poor state of reliability and accessibility any improvement will look and feel significant. It's much like comparing Jimmy Carter and Joe Biden trying to determine who was the better POTUS. They were both disasters, saying one was better than the other......whomever wins that argument has such a low bar to clear.
Another seriously flawed dashboard design were the steering wheel can block the speedometer! Same as the new Pruis. What they are they thinking?