Electric Car Stations Are Cropping Up All Over The Country. But Which Ones Are Best?

Looking around your neighborhood, you may not be able to see it, but gas cars are on their way out… and with them will go gas stations. In fact, over the last twenty years the number of gas stations has steadily declined while the number of electric charging stations has risen very quickly. If you’ve hesitated to switch to an electric car because of concerns about where to charge them, it may be time to reconsider. Here are your best options for electric vehicle stations according to Predict.

Tesla 

Pros: 

The Tesla charging network is made up of over 20,000 superchargers (fast chargers). Charging stations are located near most popular destinations and are easily found on the Tesla app. Supercharger stations work fast, recharging up to 200 miles on your car in around 15 minutes.

Cons:

While Tesla stations are ideal for Tesla owners, they’re not as helpful if you drive a different kind of car. Other cars require an adaptor to use Tesla charging stations, and even with the adaptor, are not able to charge from the fastest Supercharger stations.

ChargePoint

Pros:

While there are only about 70,000 charging stations, ChargePoint customers also have access to hundreds of thousands of other non-ChargePoint chargers. 

Cons: 

Only a small percentage of ChargePoint charging stations are Level 3 DC Fast Chargers (which take about an hour to fully charge). The others are Level I and II chargers. Level I chargers take 8+ hours to fully charge and Level II chargers take 4+ hours to fully charge.

There are also major gaps in charging stations available to interstate and long-distance travelers.

EVgo 

Pros:

EVgo is one of the two largest public fast-charging networks. It has over 800 fast chargers available for use in 34 states and will be adding an additional 2,700 fast-charging stations over the next 5 years. In addition to the fast-charging stations, customers also have access to thousands of Level 2 chargers. EVgo fast-charging stations can also be used by Tesla owners.

Evgo is a competitive company which will help lead to more fast chargers and an overall improvement in the charging infrastructure.

Cons:

Evgo does not yet have anywhere near the number of fast chargers as Tesla does.

Electrify America 

Pros:

Electrify America charging stations are strategically positioned along the most common interstate travel routes. While Electrify America is a new company, it’s already one of the fastest growing electric charging companies, with 500 fast chargers available across the country. 

Cons:

Besides the fact that there are still relatively few charging stations, Electrify America requires a pass subscription to use their charging stations. They also charge a fee for idling past the charging time. 

The good news is that at the rate we’re expanding, soon the number of Electric Vehicle fast chargers will surpass the number of gas stations in the United States. This expansion, combined with the decreasing price and increasing range of electric vehicles will make electric cars more accessible to all Americans in the coming years… which is a crucial step away from fossil fuels and towards a healthier planet.