Electric Car Travel Is Easier in These Cities
One of the first questions a new EV owner asks is—where do I plug it in? The first and second choices are home and work. Those aren’t always easy or without a price tag, but they should allow a gas-free commute. That’s on a fixed route, but what about going elsewhere?
Even though electric car range is being extended with each new model, any longer trip means finding a place to plug in. Tools like the app Plug Share can help guide you to a local plug, but there’s another metric that can let you know whether you’ve got a fair shot at finding a charging station. If you’re travelling a long distance, you want a fast-charger, one that typically runs at 480 volts (assuming, of course, your EV’s capable to accepting such a charge). With one of those you can typically add 150 miles of range with an hour of charging.
The owner of the largest network of public electric vehicle fast-charging stations, EVgo, took a look at its data and compiled a list of the Top 10 cities for fast-charging based on current usage. The company operates 950 fast chargers in more than 600 locations nationwide, covering the areas where 90 percent of new electric cars are sold.
The Big Chargers
It’s not surprising that California, where the most EVs have been sold, dominates the list.
- San Diego, CA
- Fremont, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Cupertino, CA
- Berkeley, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Arlington, VA
- Atlanta, GA
- Daly City, CA
Those station combine for an average of about 25,000 charge sessions per month, totaling 12,052 hours. Nationwide, EVgo chargers add an average of slightly more than three million miles of electric driving to cars per month.
States are working with EVgo and other charging station providers to build networks to facilitate longer distance travel, particularly along major highways and at key destinations.
