The increasing popularity of electric vehicles is also driving demand for charging stations. The number of charging stations in the United States is growing at a rapid pace, and it is expected to climb even higher.

According to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fuels Data Center, there were 53,451 charging stations in the nation as of Dec. 21, 2022. These stations include 143,708 individual charging ports.

This is a big jump in a very short time. According to speakers at the White House Electrification Summit on Dec. 14, the nation had only 130,000 charging ports just a few weeks earlier.

Other figures point to exponential growth of EV charging stations over a wider time horizon. According to USA Facts, an online data source, between 2015 and 2020, the number of charging stations across the country more than doubled. And EV stations grew by more than 55% between 2020 and 2021.

Government investment is ensuring that this growth will continue. In particular, the federal government made millions of dollars available for charging development in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

The bill set aside $7.5 billion for the expansion of the nation’s EV charging network. The funds were intended to support the administration's goal of having zero-emission vehicles, including EVs, represent 50% of all new vehicles sold by 2030. To support the growing number of EVs on the road, the administration envisions ultimately a network of 500,000 chargers across the country.

Several states are leading the way. USA Facts reports that California has the largest number of charging stations at 15,706, followed by New York at 3,594, then Florida at 3,033.

The good news is that most states are adding chargers. Also according to USA Facts, between 2020 and 2021, 46 states saw the growth rate of EV stations increase. Within the same period, 36 states saw the rate of EV station installations double.