Key Takeaways
- Recent road trip highlights improvements in EV charging.
- Charging sessions were efficient and combined with breaks.
- Data shows a significant rise in the reliability of charging stations.
- Infrastructure expansion continues to enhance user experience.
A Near-Perfect Experience
This summer, I embarked on a 600-mile road trip to Montreal. Initially, I planned to take my Kia EV9, which can travel nearly 300 miles on a single charge. However, due to a broken air conditioner, I opted for my Audi e-tron, which has a range of about 220 miles. Despite the shorter range, the e-tron managed the trip without any issues.
To locate charging stations, I used A Better Routeplanner (ABRP), an app that optimizes charging stops based on various factors, including vehicle specifications and battery health. The app suggested our first stop at a Rivian charger near Lebanon, New Hampshire. I wasn’t surprised, given that Rivian owns the app.
The charging experience at Lebanon was impressive. There were no lines, ample food options, and six operational 300-kilowatt chargers. I had downloaded the Rivian app beforehand, but it wasn’t necessary; the charger accepted my credit card and delivered over 140 kilowatts, which is close to the e-tron’s maximum. We had a similar experience on our return trip.
We also charged at a Circuit Électrique station just outside Montreal. This stop presented the only hiccup of the trip: the card reader malfunctioned, requiring me to download the Circuit Électrique app and load it with 20 Canadian dollars. Once that was sorted, the charging session went smoothly. Although the stop wasn’t strictly necessary, it provided a break for the kids and a coffee for my wife.
Each charging session lasted about 20 minutes, and we combined them with lunch or rest breaks. We never waited for the car to charge. In total, the three charging sessions took about as long as our wait at border control on our way back into the United States.
What It Used to Be Like
Three years ago, my experience was quite different. I had driven the same Audi e-tron to Maine, a round trip of about 350 miles. The car could have made it on one charge, but the hotel lacked an EV charger. To ensure we had enough power for the weekend and the return trip, we planned to charge about halfway there.
Despite using ABRP to identify reliable chargers, the experience was frustrating. The first charger malfunctioned shortly after I plugged in, forcing me to switch to another stall. The initial charger didn’t end the session, which meant I had to contact customer service to start charging at the second one. At another stop, the app indicated two working plugs out of four, but only one was functional. Overall, I spent about seven hours on the road and had to call customer service three times.
Imagine if gas stations operated like that.
Data Reveals Big Improvements
Fortunately, the EV charging landscape has changed significantly. My experiences from 2023 and 2026 are anecdotal, yet data suggests they reflect a broader trend: fast charging in the U.S. has improved dramatically.
As of July 2023, there were around 32,000 DC fast chargers in the country, many of which were limited to Tesla drivers. Tesla announced plans to open its network in 2023, but it took over a year for widespread access. Today, most EV drivers can utilize Tesla’s network. The total number of DC fast chargers has more than doubled since 2023.
Moreover, reliability has increased. My nearly flawless trip appears to be typical rather than an exception. Since last year, reliability has improved nearly 10 points, reaching the mid-90s on Paren’s reliability index, which tracks successful charging sessions and station downtime. While Tesla’s network remains dominant, other networks are expanding quickly, contributing to better overall charging experiences.
Though gaps in the network still exist and some chargers remain out of order, more chargers are being added monthly, and repairs are happening more swiftly than before. The improvements in fast charging are evident, and it’s time to inform those still hesitant about making the switch.