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600-Mile Road Trip Data Proves EV Charging Has Improved
U.S. EV fast charging infrastructure has dramatically improved in reliability and availability since 2023, transforming road trip experiences and addressing a key concern for prospective buyers. A recent 600-mile round trip from the U.S. to Montreal in an Audi e-tron—which has about 220 miles of range—delivered near-flawless charging, a stark contrast to a 2023 trip to Maine where broken chargers and app failures forced multiple customer service calls. The journey used A Better Route Planner (ABRP) to find a Rivian charger in Lebanon, New Hampshire, with six working 300 kW stalls, credit card acceptance, and speeds above 140 kW. The only hiccup came at a Circuit Électrique station outside Montreal, where a broken card reader required downloading their app. Each stop took roughly 20 minutes and combined with meals. AAA surveys have shown over half of EV shoppers cite public charging as a key barrier, but data from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and Paren’s reliability index confirms the trend: U.S. DC fast chargers have more than doubled from about 32,000 in July 2023, with Tesla opening its network and reliability scores climbing from 85 to the mid-90s. While gaps and breakdowns still occur, fast charging is now much more reliable, making long-distance EV travel far less stressful.