Electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Levels: Level 1 (120V home, 3-5 mi/hr), Level 2 (240V, 25-30 mi/hr), DC Fast Charging (150-350 kW, 200+ mi in 30 min).
Infrastructure Growth
US charging ports: 16,000 (2010), 50,000 (2015), 130,000 (2020), 160,000 (2023). Networks: Tesla Supercharger, Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint, Blink.
Charging Speeds
Level 1 (120V): overnight home charging. Level 2 (240V): workplace/public parking, 4-8 hours full charge. DC Fast Charging (50-350 kW): road trips, 15-45 minutes to 80%.
Network Fragmentation
Multiple apps/memberships required (pre-2021 pain point). PlugShare crowd-sourced reliability. ChargePoint, EVgo, Electrify America separate networks. Tesla Supercharger exclusive (until 2021).
Reliability Issues
Broken chargers common 2018-2021 (25-40% uptime some networks). Credit card readers failed, app-only frustration. Electrify America reliability improved 2022+ (VW settlement funding).
Cultural Phenomenon
#ChargingStation = EV road trip planning obsession, range anxiety driver, “Why is this broken again?” frustration. Charging etiquette debates (don’t leave car after charging done).
https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a36877585/electric-car-charging-guide/