As consumers reconsider electric vehicles with gas prices topping $4 per gallon in most of the country due to the ongoing war in Iran, the number of public chargers in various states has increased coming into 2026, according to new data released by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
The Alliance, which lobbies in Washington, DC for nearly all major carmakers including General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen, said in its quarterly Get Connected report that the number of public Level 2 chargers, which are more powerful than most home chargers, increased by 17% over 2024. The report said the number of DC Fast chargers, which are the most powerful chargers, increased by 35%. Total charging ports increased 22% by the end of 2025 from the end of 2024, according to the group.
The findings come as EVs represented 9.6% of U.S. auto sales in 2025, which was a 0.6% decrease from 2024 levels, according to the Alliance. But some drivers are giving EVs a second look now that the average price of gas has reached $4.02 per gallon on March 31, which was up from an average of $2.98 one month ago on Feb. 28.
The USA TODAY Cars team took a look at the number of EV chargers in each state and what it means for drivers.
