It is becoming easier to find fast chargers for electric vehicles, and they are more likely to work — and not just for Teslas.
Since Tesla installed its first Superchargers in 2012 for the exclusive use of its customers, owners of other electric cars have often felt like second-class citizens. They have wandered in search of electric oases in desolate parking lots, often making desperate calls to help centers after becoming stymied by balky or broken chargers.
It’s no surprise, then, that consumers rank problems with public electric vehicle charging and the time it takes to fuel up as their top two reasons for rejecting electric vehicles, according to J.D. Power.
But help may finally be at hand.
Automakers and charging companies are building new stations and updating their cars to allow drivers to more easily and quickly recharge their vehicles. They are also outfitting charging stations with more amenities like food and bathrooms while making the devices more reliable. And because chargers are only as fast as the cars they connect with, automakers are designing new cars to absorb electricity at Usain Bolt-level speeds. In addition, many automakers have cut deals with Tesla allowing owners of other cars access to the company’s fast-charging network, the largest in the country and widely considered the most reliable.
There is early evidence that efforts to improve electric vehicle charging are paying off.
In recent years, J.D. Power surveys showed that about 20 percent of attempts to charge electric vehicles at all public stations ended in failure because of faulty chargers, long lines or payment glitches. But in the first three months of 2025, overall failure rates fell to 16 percent, the biggest improvement since the surveys began in 2021.
“The industry is finally elevating as a whole,” said Brent Gruber, an executive director at J.D. Power.
The number of chargers has also increased. There were about 55,200 fast chargers in the United States in May, up from 42,200 a year earlier, according to federal data.