Updated September 2026.
For most electric-car owners, “filling up” happens at home overnight. Public charging matters most on road trips, and for the many people who can’t charge where they live. Both have changed a lot in the past few years.
The three levels of charging
| Type | Power | Range added per hour | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 (standard 120 V outlet) | about 1.4 kW | 3–5 miles | Home, using the cord that comes with the car |
| Level 2 (240 V, like a dryer outlet) | 7–19 kW | about 25–40 miles | Home wall chargers, workplaces, stores |
| DC fast charging | 50–350 kW | Often 10–80% in 20–40 minutes | Highway corridors |
One plug for everyone
For years, North America had competing plugs: J1772 and CCS on most cars, CHAdeMO on a few, and Tesla’s own connector. That’s ending. Starting with Ford and GM in 2023, every major automaker in North America agreed to adopt Tesla’s design, now standardized as SAE J3400 (often called NACS). New models increasingly come with the J3400 port, and many owners of older non-Tesla EVs can now use Tesla Superchargers with an adapter. CHAdeMO is being phased out in the US.
How many chargers are there?
According to the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, the US passed 250,000 public charging ports in mid-2026. More than 180,000 of these are Level 2, and over 72,000 are DC fast chargers. Apps like PlugShare, and each network’s own app, show locations, prices and whether a charger is working. Reliability, meaning broken or occupied chargers, remains the most common complaint.
Federal policy: a bumpy road
- The 2021 Infrastructure Law created the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program to build fast chargers along highways. The funding was frozen in February 2025, then restarted under new, looser guidance in August 2025, with states given more control.
- The federal tax credits for buying EVs ($7,500 new, $4,000 used) ended on September 30, 2025.
Running out of charge
“Charge anxiety” is the fear of running flat. With gas, you can walk to a station with a can. With an EV you can’t, and many EVs shouldn’t be towed with their drive wheels on the ground, so a stranded car usually needs a flatbed. Some roadside-assistance services now offer mobile charging instead.
Mobile EV charging. Mobile charging units, essentially a large battery with a fast charger on a truck or trailer, can reach stranded drivers or serve fleets and events. I think they’ll become a popular franchise business. In 2023, a 30 kW unit with a 30 kWh battery cost about $21,000, and a 60 kW unit with a 60 kWh battery about $39,000. Email me at Mark@TheEnergyGrid.com for current details.
Related: Battery Technology and Solar Vehicles.
