EV Charging Networks in the United States

Public charging in the United States is split between one very large network and several substantial competitors. What you install and sign up for depends mostly on which of them covers the roads you actually drive.

Tesla Supercharger

The largest and generally the most reliable fast-charging network in the country, and the one with the best highway coverage. Historically Tesla-only, it is now open to most other brands — either natively for vehicles with a NACS port, or through an adapter for vehicles with CCS1. Pricing is set per site and shown in the Tesla app before you plug in.

Electrify America

The largest non-Tesla DC fast network, built out under the Volkswagen diesel settlement, with a strong presence at retail sites and along interstate corridors. Stations typically offer several 150 kW to 350 kW stalls. Reliability has been the network's long-running criticism, so it is worth checking recent PlugShare comments for a site before depending on it.

EVgo

A fast-charging network concentrated in metropolitan areas rather than on highways, frequently at grocery stores and shopping centers. That makes it more useful for topping up during errands than for long-distance travel, and it is one of the more useful networks for drivers without home charging.

ChargePoint

More a platform than a network. ChargePoint makes the hardware and runs the payment system, but individual stations are owned by the businesses, employers and municipalities that installed them, which is why pricing varies so widely from site to site and why some ChargePoint stations are free. Much of the country's Level 2 charging runs through it.

Blink Charging

A mix of Level 2 and DC fast charging, often at multifamily housing, workplaces and municipal parking. Coverage is patchier than the larger networks, but Blink shows up in places the highway-focused operators do not.

Shell Recharge

Fast charging at fuel retail sites, with the practical advantage that comes with it: restrooms, food and somewhere to sit, which matters more than expected on a twenty to forty minute DC charge. Coverage is still expanding.

Most drivers use a combination of network-specific apps and third-party charger finder apps. Each charging network has its own app for locating chargers, checking availability and starting a session.

For finding chargers across multiple networks in one place, PlugShare and A Better Route Planner (ABRP) are the most widely used tools among US EV drivers. PlugShare shows charger locations and user reviews across all networks. ABRP is particularly useful for planning longer trips as it factors in your vehicle's range, battery level and available chargers along your route.

For a full list of EV charging apps available in the United States, see the EV Charging Apps tool page.

Public chargers range from slow AC destination chargers to ultra rapid DC chargers. The speed of a session depends on the charger power, your vehicle's maximum charging rate and the battery's current state of charge.