The public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure continues to be identified as a culprit in the unexpectedly slow adoption of EVs in the United States, but this year it is showing signs of improvement with overall satisfaction increasing for a second consecutive quarter. While the issue is a long way from being solved, the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study, released Aug.14, suggests the industry is on the right track despite continued challenges.

The number of public charging stations across the country continues to grow but hasn’t matched the rate of EV sales. During the past several years, the rise in the number of EVs per public charging station has contributed to a declining level of satisfaction with such chargers. This year, however, customer satisfaction with the two principal methods of public charging offers a hopeful sign.

In this year’s study, satisfaction with DC (direct current) fast chargers increases to 664 (on a 1,000-point scale), a 10-point increase from the same period in 2023. The rise is tempered by the finding that satisfaction with public Level 2 charging has declined to 614, which is 3 points lower than a year ago despite the recent quarterly improvements.

“While the customer satisfaction scores for public charging continue to prompt concern, the results offer reasons for optimism,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. “Among users of Level 2 chargers, satisfaction improves in five of the 10 factors that make up overall satisfaction, and among DC fast charger users, satisfaction is up in six of the 10 categories. In addition, the overall indices have improved for the past two quarters. This indicates progress in many areas that EV owners care about, like the speed and availability of fast chargers and the convenience of having other things to do during longer Level 2 charging sessions.”