Charger Availability Is The Good News EVs Needed

Electric Research

When it comes to EVs, cost and range anxiety are keeping people from getting behind the wheel.

What’s range anxiety? It’s the fear of running out of juice before finding a charging station. Luckily, new research shows that a lot of consumers live close to charging stations, and those people are more likely to buy electric vehicles.

Charged Up

More than half of Americans (64%) live within two miles of a charging station, according to a report released last month by the Pew Research Center. The report found that living near a charging station was correlated with positive attitudes about EVs.

Most EV owners charge their car at home. But charging stations give drivers options, and make owning or leasing an EV possible in densely populated areas such as New York City, where most people don’t own a garage with a dedicated charger.

Those who live near a charger were more likely to say they already owned an EV, would consider buying one, and favor phasing out gas vehicles by 2035. They were also confident that the U.S. would build the infrastructure needed to support a large EV fleet.

Thanks partly to the Inflation Reduction Act, the number of EV charging stations has more than doubled since 2020, resulting in 95% of Americans living in a county with at least one public charger.

Golden State

California is home to about a quarter of all public EV charging stations in the U.S. The state also has 1.2 million registered electric vehicles, which means, ironically, that EV owners might have a hard time nabbing one of those free chargers.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Wyoming, North Dakota, and West Virginia have the most charging ports relative to the number of EVs on the road.

Interested in an EV?

As more competitors enter the EV market and Tesla (TSLA) lowers prices, electric vehicles are becoming more affordable, which is great news for consumers who want to reduce their driving emission footprint. Used EVs are also an option.

In terms of financing your EV purchase, you can get an auto loan from a dealer or bank, provided you have a good enough credit score.

While EVs aren’t cheap, they can still save you up to $1,300 annually on fuel costs, according to car site Edmunds . And now many EV owners can rest easy knowing a charging station is nearby.

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