Customer satisfaction with public charging in the US has risen sharply over the past year, according to the JD Power 2026 US Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging Study. The industry’s ‘non-charging visit rate’, where EV drivers have driven to a location but have been unable to charge their vehicle, has fallen to 12%, the lowest recorded in the study’s six-year history.
OEM-backed EV charging networks raise the bar for public charging quality
The latest edition of JD Power’s US public charging study has revealed improving customer satisfaction for DC fast charging in particular, with satisfaction gains across factors including charger availability, customer safety, charging cost, charging speed, and more. The study was run in collaboration with PlugShare, which surveyed over 6,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid owners between January and June 2026. With the perception of public charging commonly seen as a reason why some buyers reject EVs, the results point to steadily improving infrastructure, as more drivers make the switch.
Notably, the three DC fast charging networks to rank highest in JD Power’s research were all OEM-backed networks. Coming in first place was IONNA, which is currently backed by eight major OEMs (BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Toyota). In second place came the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network, followed by the Rivian Adventure Network in third place.
While DC fast charging saw satisfaction levels rise, it was a different story for slower Level 2 public chargers, which saw satisfaction levels slightly drop compared to last year’s study, primarily on the areas of ease of payment and ease of charging.
Brent Gruber, executive director of EV solutions at JD Power, commented:
“The public charging experience is becoming more consistent, and that’s critical as the EV market matures. JD Power data consistently shows that public charging is the top reason new-vehicle shoppers reject EVs. The improvements we’re now seeing will go a long way toward supporting the infrastructure needed to meet the rise in forecasted EV sales in the coming years.
New OEM-backed fast-charging networks are raising expectations with high-performing equipment, strong locations and smooth sessions, which helps build customer confidence that they can pull in, start a charge and get back on the road quickly. However, the decline in the Level 2 charging segment shows there is still work to be done on network quality, location strategy and customer education before mainstream shoppers fully trust public charging.”
