Public EV Charging Is Finally Getting Better—But There's a Catch

The public EV charging landscape across the United States is showing measurable signs of improvement, according to the newly released J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study. Despite a broader cooling in overall EV sales growth, key infrastructure metrics suggest that the underlying charging network is becoming more reliable, driven largely by new, automaker-backed direct-current (DC) fast-charging operations.

A primary highlight of the annual study, fielded between January and June 2026 among 6,594 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle owners, is a historic drop in failed charging attempts. The industry's "non-charge visit rate" fell to 12%, down from 14% a year prior, marking the lowest failure rate recorded in the study’s six-year history.

However, the findings reveal a widening divide between high-speed travel corridors and daily destination charging.

DC Fast Charging Gains Traction

Overall customer satisfaction with DC fast chargers rose 12 points year-over-year to 666 on a 1,000-point scale, with improvements recorded across all 10 evaluated study categories. Drivers cited increased charger availability (+27 points), enhanced location safety (+18 points), and improved perception of charging costs (+18 points) as primary drivers of satisfaction.

Much of this upward trajectory stems from the deployment of dedicated, OEM-backed charging networks built to streamline the ownership experience. In its first year of eligibility, Ionna topped the DC fast-charging index with a score of 807. The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network placed second at 797, followed by the Rivian Adventure Network at 755—all scoring well above the industry average of 666 and outperforming legacy public operators.

Level 2 Lags Behind

While fast-charging infrastructure saw broad progress, public Level 2 charging satisfaction declined by 12 points to 595. Respondents cited ongoing friction with payment processing and general ease of initiation as key issues impacting Level 2 usability.

This info jives with Plug In America’s 2026 Annual EV Driver Survey which reported the shocking results that 52.4% of non-Tesla EV owners encountered a broken charger last year.

Site selection also proved to be a significant variable in user experience. DC fast chargers located near amenities—such as hotels (692), convenience stores and gas stations (689), and restaurants (688)—received the highest satisfaction scores. Conversely, chargers located at automotive dealerships (570) and standalone parking structures (606) scored lowest.

While fast-charging hardware reliability is moving in the right direction, the disparity between high-speed corridor networks and lower-speed destination stations indicates that public infrastructure developers still face challenges in delivering a consistent user experience across all use cases.