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Cities and States with the Fastest-Growing EV Charger Infrastructure

Electric vehicles are projected to grow from 6 percent to 30 percent of new vehicle sales in the next 6 years. A 500-percent spike in EV sales will require a similar rise in electric vehicle infrastructure if all these new EV owners want access to quick and convenient public charging.

While there are already 150,000 EV charging stations in the U.S., most of them are Level 2 chargers that only add about 10-20 miles an hour to an electric vehicle’s range. Level 3 fast chargers can add 3-20 miles or range a minute, completely replenishing most electric vehicles in 30-60 minutes. However, with only 28,000 Level 3 fast chargers in the public infrastructure, access to fast charging is limited. 

Of those 28,000 fast chargers, over 17,000 are part of the Tesla Supercharger Network, leaving only 11,000 Level 3 chargers available for non-Tesla drivers. You can see which cities are the most and least EV friendly in our recent EV charger study, but suffice it to say the country needs rapid growth in electric vehicle charging support, particularly fast charging options, to keep pace with rising EV sales. 

Which Cities and States Have Grown the Fastest in EV Infrastructure?

EV owners and potential buyers should consider not only which cities and states have the best current EV infrastructure, but which areas are seeing the fastest growth. Many of these cities and states don’t have big EV charger numbers today, but they have worked the hardest in recent years to prepare for the coming wave of electric vehicles.

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Listed below are the cities and states with the fastest growth in the number of EV chargers over the past 5 years. These tables show total EV charger growth as well as the growth of Level 3 chargers.

Tables showing growth for all EV charging networks and growth for Tesla’s Supercharger Network are also included. 

Top Cities and States for Total EV Charger Growth

Much of the recent growth in EV infrastructure has occurred in California, but the fastest growth over the past 5 years has been in Oklahoma City. At the state level, North Dakota has improved the most over the past 5 years, with Massachusetts and Oklahoma coming in second and third.

Top 10 Metro Areas with the Most Growth in Total Chargers (incl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

Metro

% Improvement

Residents per Charger, 2017

Residents per Charger, 2022

1

Oklahoma City, OK

89.1%

29,100

3,164

2

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA

88.2%

3,941

465

3

Fresno-Visalia, CA

88.1%

8,632

1,024

4

Austin, TX

87.7%

10,672

1,310

5

San Diego, CA

87.6%

6,636

824

6

Boston, MA-Manchester, NH

87.4%

8,807

1,111

7

Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, MI

87.3%

23,307

2,965

8

Cincinnati, OH

87.1%

26,899

3,465

9

Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, PA

86.1%

24,082

3,351

10

San Antonio, TX

85.6%

37,468

5,386

National Avg

79.6%

11,177

2,280

 

Top 10 States with the Most Growth in Total Chargers (incl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

State

% Improvement

Residents per Charger, 2017

Residents per Charger, 2022

1

North Dakota

94.5%

83,882

4,611

2

Massachusetts

90.1%

11,827

1,167

3

Oklahoma

87.6%

30,010

3,729

4

Rhode Island

87.1%

11,351

1,462

5

New Jersey

87.1%

25,030

3,228

6

New York

86.8%

14,773

1,950

7

Alaska

86.0%

46,231

6,492

8

Utah

84.4%

11,528

1,802

9

Michigan

83.9%

22,980

3,704

10

California

83.4%

5,315

881

National Avg

79.6%

11,177

2,280

Top Cities and States for Level 3 Fast Charger Growth

While a Level 2 charger is better than nothing for an EV about to run out of energy, effective midday charging requires a Level 3 fast charger. West Palm Beach has grown the fastest in Level 3 charging over the past 5 years, with San Antonio and Cincinnati also showing substantial improvement. Oklahoma, Massachusetts, and Florida are the leading states for Level 3 improvements in charging support.

Top 10 Metro Areas with the Most Growth in Fast Chargers (incl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

Metro

% Improvement

Residents per Fast Charger, 2017

Residents per Fast Charger, 2022

1

West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL

99.0%

937,950

9,769

2

San Antonio, TX

98.8%

2,360,500

29,060

3

Cincinnati, OH

96.0%

672,467

26,790

4

San Diego, CA

95.4%

105,681

4,841

5

Oklahoma City, OK

94.2%

95,859

5,571

6

Tampa-St Petersburg (Sarasota), FL

92.4%

212,905

16,094

7

Fresno-Visalia, CA

92.3%

31,873

2,444

8

Baltimore, MD

92.2%

102,924

7,995

9

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL

92.2%

121,826

9,487

10

Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL

92.1%

142,377

11,306

National Avg

86.1%

83,351

11,602

 

Top 10 States with the Most Growth in Fast Chargers (incl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

State

% Improvement

Residents per Fast Charger, 2017

Residents per Fast Charger, 2022

1

Oklahoma

93.8%

103,456

6,452

2

Florida

93.0%

190,578

13,257

3

Massachusetts

90.7%

127,033

11,754

4

California

90.3%

45,766

4,449

5

New Jersey

90.0%

116,915

11,679

6

Michigan

89.7%

181,329

18,651

7

Georgia

88.6%

115,670

13,244

8

Maryland

88.4%

74,369

8,646

9

Illinois

88.3%

148,591

17,427

10

New York

87.7%

135,100

16,647

National Avg

86.1%

83,351

11,602

Top Cities and States for total EV Charger Growth, Excluding Tesla

Tesla has built an impressive Supercharger Network, but if you don’t own a Tesla you can’t use it, at least not today. Tesla has committed to opening up some of its charging stations by 2024. In the meantime, non-Tesla owners in Austin, San Antonio, and Albuquerque/Santa Fe have benefitted from the most aggressive growth in EV charging support over the past 5 years. New York, New Mexico, and North Dakota are the states with the most non-Tesla EV charging stations since 2017.

Top 10 Metro Areas with the Most Growth in Total Chargers (excl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

Metro

% Improvement

Residents per Charger, 2017

Residents per Charger, 2022

1

Austin, TX

94.0%

28,670

1,714

2

San Antonio, TX

92.2%

98,354

7,690

3

Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM

92.0%

50,719

4,057

4

Oklahoma City, OK

91.9%

42,884

3,482

5

Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, PA

91.3%

45,629

3,983

6

New York, NY

90.6%

40,648

3,821

7

Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, MI

90.4%

36,417

3,486

8

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA

90.4%

5,674

545

9

Salt Lake City, UT

90.4%

18,881

1,818

10

Boston, MA-Manchester, NH

90.1%

12,443

1,234

National Avg

83.8%

17,673

2,868

 

Top 10 States with the Most Growth in Total Chargers (excl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

State

% Improvement

Residents per Charger, 2017

Residents per Charger, 2022

1

New York

95.6%

55,811

2,478

2

New Mexico

93.0%

77,473

5,461

3

North Dakota

92.4%

83,882

6,335

4

Massachusetts

91.6%

15,177

1,279

5

Oklahoma

90.8%

44,172

4,073

6

Utah

90.4%

22,471

2,148

7

Texas

89.2%

60,331

6,514

8

New Jersey

89.1%

38,972

4,254

9

Nevada

88.8%

25,825

2,905

10

Rhode Island

88.3%

13,534

1,581

National Avg

83.8%

17,673

2,868

Top Cities and States for Level 3 Fast Charger Growth, Excluding Tesla

Only 11,000 Level 3 fast chargers are available outside the Tesla network, but Albuquerque/Santa Fe, Oklahoma City, and West Palm Beach added the most number of non-Tesla fast chargers in recent years. With those cities growing so quickly it follows that New Mexico and Oklahoma would be the leading states in non-Tesla Level 3 growth, with Iowa coming in at position 3 at the state level.

Top 10 Metro Areas with the Most Growth in Fast Chargers (excl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

Metro

% Improvement

Residents per Fast Charger, 2017

Residents per Fast Charger, 2022

1

Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM

98.5%

1,623,000

23,939

2

Oklahoma City, OK

98.2%

325,920

5,962

3

West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL

97.4%

937,950

24,242

4

Birmingham, AL

97.2%

1,626,100

45,530

5

Detroit, MI

97.1%

1,391,100

40,150

6

Cleveland-Akron (Canton), OH

96.3%

1,641,650

61,344

7

Kansas City, MO

96.1%

2,142,100

82,752

8

Milwaukee, WI

95.6%

1,980,800

87,491

9

Denver, CO

95.5%

243,294

10,919

10

Fresno-Visalia, CA

95.5%

138,117

6,211

National Avg

91.9%

359,895

29,035

 

Top 10 States with the Most Growth in Fast Chargers (excl. Tesla Network), 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

State

% Improvement

Residents per Fast Charger, 2017

Residents per Fast Charger, 2022

1

New Mexico

98.5%

2,091,784

30,628

2

Oklahoma

98.3%

393,132

6,848

3

Iowa

98.2%

1,570,775

28,075

4

Michigan

97.2%

1,424,731

40,460

5

Louisiana

97.0%

4,670,560

139,098

6

Nebraska

96.1%

957,974

37,131

7

Ohio

95.6%

1,059,968

46,284

8

Wisconsin

95.6%

1,930,062

85,399

9

Colorado

95.3%

295,362

13,872

10

Alabama

94.4%

1,218,622

67,657

National Avg

91.9%

359,895

29,035

 

Top Cities and States for Total Tesla Supercharger Network Growth

 

Tesla continues to grow its Supercharger Network, investing heavily in Greensboro-Winston Salem, Fresno-Visalia, and Indianapolis over the past 5 years. At the state level Tesla has grown its network the fastest in Alaska, New Jersey, and Delaware.

 

Top 10 Metro Areas with the Most Growth in Tesla Network Total Chargers, 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

Metro

% Improvement

Residents per Charger, 2017

Residents per Charger, 2022

1

Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC

87.4%

111,307

13,975

2

Fresno-Visalia, CA

86.1%

26,308

3,656

3

Indianapolis, IN

82.5%

88,510

15,477

4

Philadelphia, PA

80.9%

73,420

14,018

5

West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL

80.3%

36,075

7,114

6

Kansas City, MO

79.4%

126,006

25,980

7

Chicago, IL

78.9%

62,701

13,242

8

Hartford & New Haven, CT

77.3%

39,486

8,977

9

San Diego, CA

76.8%

23,978

5,571

10

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

76.6%

54,569

12,743

National Avg

63.4%

30,412

11,124

 

Top 10 States with the Most Growth in Tesla Network Total Chargers, 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

State

% Improvement

Residents per Charger, 2017

Residents per Charger, 2022

1

Alaska

81.4%

246,567

45,849

2

New Jersey

80.9%

69,965

13,384

3

Delaware

78.5%

53,157

11,443

4

Massachusetts

75.1%

53,592

13,350

5

Maryland

74.5%

48,580

12,404

6

Illinois

73.2%

61,437

16,469

7

Minnesota

72.7%

51,539

14,047

8

Indiana

72.4%

61,649

16,998

9

California

72.3%

19,032

5,281

10

Rhode Island

72.2%

70,378

19,531

National Avg

63.4%

30,412

11,124

Top Cities and States for Tesla Level 3 Fast Charger Growth

The Tesla Supercharger Network has over 17,000 Level 3 fast chargers, with recent growth the highest in San Diego, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, and Indianapolis. In terms of state growth, Tesla has added the most Level 3 fast chargers in Maryland, Florida, and Massachusetts over the past 5 years.

Top 10 Metro Areas with the Most Growth in Tesla Network Fast Chargers, 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

Metro

% Improvement

Residents per Fast Charger, 2017

Residents per Fast Charger, 2022

1

San Diego, CA

96.5%

237,783

8,382

2

Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL

94.1%

264,414

15,568

3

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA

92.2%

64,641

5,053

4

Indianapolis, IN

91.9%

320,850

26,099

5

Chicago, IL

91.8%

256,681

21,040

6

Tampa-St Petersburg (Sarasota), FL

91.7%

266,131

22,081

7

Charlotte, NC

91.4%

348,675

30,061

8

Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL

91.1%

147,932

13,136

9

Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC

91.0%

194,788

17,468

10

Fresno-Visalia, CA

90.3%

41,435

4,030

National Avg

82.2%

108,473

19,323

 

Top 10 States with the Most Growth in Tesla Network Fast Chargers, 2017 - 2022 - iSeeCars Study

Rank

State

% Improvement

Residents per Fast Charger, 2017

Residents per Fast Charger, 2022

1

Maryland

94.0%

301,193

17,973

2

Florida

93.0%

268,764

18,788

3

Massachusetts

91.9%

214,368

17,455

4

New Jersey

89.7%

164,547

17,025

5

California

88.2%

64,311

7,618

6

Georgia

87.2%

192,784

24,746

7

Maine

86.2%

83,413

11,545

8

Indiana

85.9%

184,947

26,080

9

Illinois

85.2%

182,555

27,000

10

Pennsylvania

84.0%

168,258

26,913

National Avg

82.2%

108,473

19,323

More from iSeeCars:

Methodology

iSeeCars analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Energy through 2022 as of February 8, 2023. The number of Level 2 EVSE and DC Fast EVSE ports was aggregated nationally, by metro area, and by state. The data was also aggregated for chargers from Tesla’s network vs. all other networks. The number of chargers was normalized by population counts from the U.S. Census Bureau and expressed as the number of residents per charger.

About iSeeCars

iSeeCars.com is a data-driven car search and research company that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $372 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

This article, Top 10 Cities and States with the Fastest-Growing EV Charger Infrastructure, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.