Public electric vehicle chargers are becoming more reliable, but charger availability is worsening, according to new J.D. Power data.
Eighteen percent of public charging attempts failed in the fourth quarter. That’s a three-point improvement from the previous nine months, according to J.D. Power’s latest charging satisfaction surveys. Charging station outages and malfunctions remain the biggest pain points, comprising 71 percent of failed visits in the quarter.
But lack of charger availability or long wait times made up a growing percentage of problems. They represent 20 percent of failed charging attempts, up from 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021 when EVs were less prevalent.
The lack of availability “is really alarming” as EV adoption outpaces charging installation growth, said Brent Gruber, executive director of J.D. Power’s EV practice.
Use of ChargePoint’s network, for example, surpassed port growth, the company said. ChargePoint’s public stations reported a 39 percent increase in charging sessions in 2023 year over year but only an 18 percent increase in ports.
Much of J.D. Power’s feedback on limited availability came specifically from failures with Level 2 chargers, which take several hours to power an EV battery. They are typically used at home, work or to top off during daily activities, such as shopping or dining at a restaurant. Overall satisfaction with Level 2 chargers fell 28 points in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier.
Major charging infrastructure initiatives, such as the Biden administration’s goal for 500,000 EV chargers nationwide by 2030 and the Ionna automaker-led charging network, are squarely focused on faster charging with direct-current systems. DC fast chargers can power up a vehicle in less than 20 minutes, depending on the system and vehicle architecture.
Fast chargers are designed to be used more like gas stations. Drivers stop at fast chargers when power is low for a full or nearly full recharge. Fast chargers are more suitable for longer road trips and are often installed along highways.
In 2023, the number of public Level 2 charging ports increased by 13 percent, while DC fast-charging ports surged 31 percent, J.D. Power said, citing Department of Energy data.
“This really speaks to how Level 2 in particular is not keeping up with consumer demand,” Gruber said.
The convenience model of Level 2 chargers works in the right situations, Gruber said.
“My concern is that we’re focusing so much on the DC fast-charging investment that we’re dropping the ball on Level 2 charging, which is still heavily utilized, and that’s why we are seeing that big drop in satisfaction,” Gruber said.