The EV Charging Experience is Often Awful: Here's Why

Despite a remarkable increase in public EV charge ports in the US, the electric vehicle charging experience (EVCX) remains weighed down with issues that affect the industry’s reputation. To understand the gaps in charging infrastructure reliability, ChargerHelp analyzed over 19M data points from 2023, drawing insights from its direct electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) operations and maintenance (O&M) experience, Paren’s third-party data, the U.S. DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) database, and select utility filings. The investigation focused on three key areas: discrepancies between reported and true uptime, variations in reliability by equipment age, state, and network, and the underlying causes of downtime. This comprehensive analysis uncovered five critical findings highlighting the significant challenges in EV charging infrastructure, affecting current EV drivers and deterring potential adopters.

Finding #1: True uptime often lower than reported

True uptime, reflecting actual user experience with EV charging stations, often differs from software-reported uptime. Analysis of over 4,800 charge points showed that while 15.4% of stations had both software and physical status indicating they were down, a significant 26.3% of test charges failed despite software indicating availability. Paren data supports this, showing actual uptime averaging 84% compared to the 92% reported by stations and successful charge attempts averaging 84% vs. reported 69–94%. This discrepancy suggests that software frequently overestimates uptime and charge success, indicating the need for a correction coefficient to better assess US public charging infrastructure. For instance, applying this correction suggests that the actual number of non-functional ports is closer to 18% for Level 2 and 15% for direct current fast charging (DCFC) ports.

Related:How Is Europe’s EV Charging Infrastructure?

Comparing expected vs. actual station status, uptime, and charging success. Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

Finding #2: Software inaccuracy reduces driver confidence

ChargerHelp technicians found that 16% of the time, the reported status of charging stations differed from their actual physical condition, with some stations appearing online in apps but being offline in reality. Additionally, 10% of stations that seemed operational in both software and physical checks failed to charge. This software inaccuracy impacts EV drivers in several ways, contributing to charging anxiety and reducing confidence:

Related:Hertz CEO Scherr Is Replaced Following EV Woes

These inaccuracies significantly impact the reliability of charging infrastructure.

Software inaccuracy impacts EV driver charging experience in 4 ways. Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

ChargerHelp states thar its field technicians found that 16% of the time, a charging station’s physical status as observed by an EVSE tech and the station’s status as reported in its software app disagreed, including stations that indicated they were operational / online but turned out to be offline in person.

Software-reported vs. in-person physical station status agreement. Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

Finding #3: Equipment age and geographic variability impact charging station reliability

The study shows that older EV charging stations experience higher downtime, with a notable increase in failure rates around the 4-year mark. This is due to both equipment degradation and the superior quality of newer technology. Consequently, states with longer histories of EVSE infrastructure tend to have higher percentages of non-functional stations.

By the end of 2023, public Level 2 (L2) and DC Fast Charging (DCFC) stations were available across all US states, but their distribution was concentrated. Six states accounted for over half of all public charging ports, with California alone holding 27%. California had one public or shared EV charging station for every five gas stations by late April 2024.

Related:Cold-Weather Charging Is Chilling EV Acceptance

% all ports (L2 + DCFC) down by state, EOY 2023 (AFDC). Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

Nationwide, 4.7% of public EV charging ports were out of service, with variability from less than 1% in North Dakota and Alaska to over 10% in Washington, DC. States with older infrastructure, such as Washington, showed lower reliability, while states with newer infrastructure, like Ohio, exhibited better performance.

DCFC % downtime (Paren) vs. DCFC % failed charge attempts (Paren). Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's $7.5 billion funding has highlighted even broader state-to-state variations in EVSE reliability, with significant differences in down stations, downtime, and failed charge attempts where funding is located.

Finding #4: Charging reliability varies dramatically by network

The report analyzes anonymized major charging network operators with at least 500 charge ports and reveals significant variability in reliability. At the end of 2023, some networks reported nearly flawless operations with minimal downtime, while others experienced up to 10–20% of their stations being non-functional. This variation has a direct impact on EV drivers, whose experiences can vary greatly depending on their chosen network.

DCFC ports, while fewer in number compared to Level 2 (L2) ports, show particularly troubling downtime rates. At the end of 2023, some major networks reported up to 70% of their DCFC ports being down. This high downtime is significant because DCFC ports are critical for fast EV charging and have high driver urgency due to quick charge times.

% self-reported down DCFC ports, max during 2023 (AFDC). Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

The discrepancy in reliability is not solely attributed to the network operators. Factors such as the type of EVSE hardware used, and the operating model play crucial roles. Networks with homogeneous hardware tend to perform better, while those with diverse hardware from various OEMs face more reliability issues. Additionally, vertically integrated networks, with centralized accountability for uptime and maintenance, generally perform better than networks with numerous independent operators.

Finding #5: Dominant causes of downtime and failed charge sessions

According to the report, the causes of downtime and failed charge sessions for EV charging stations are diverse, with certain issues being more prevalent. Common visible problems include damage to screens and retractors, which are critical for user interaction and cable management. However, when focusing specifically on down stations, payment system malfunctions emerged as a significant issue. Stations with functioning payment systems had fewer issues, while nearly 50% of non-operational stations had faulty or non-working payment systems.

Rates of observable charging station damage. Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

ChargerHelp’s operational and maintenance (O&M) experience highlights that internal component failures or damage, along with communications and software issues, are the most frequent causes of station downtime. Together, these issues account for over two-thirds of downtime symptoms. In contrast, electrical problems and site-related damage, such as vandalism, are relatively rare, comprising less than 2% of the symptoms. This data underscores the importance of addressing payment system reliability and internal component robustness to improve overall station performance and reduce downtime.

Relative prevalence of observable damage at down stations. Courtesy of ChargerHelp.

ChargerHelp’s 2024 report illuminates critical challenges within the EV charging infrastructure despite the significant expansion in the number of charge ports. These insights underscore the need for improvements in payment systems, component reliability, and infrastructure maintenance to enhance the overall charging experience. Addressing these issues is essential for boosting driver confidence, reducing frustration, and encouraging wider adoption of EVs. As the industry continues to grow, prioritizing these areas will be crucial in creating a more reliable and user-friendly public charging network.