Electric Vehicle Charging Demand Has Outpaced New Ports
EV drivers are facing longer wait times as charging sessions grew twice as fast as new station installations in 2025.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
Live Poll
While your electric vehicle charges, would you use that time to shop or purchase snacks?
Charging sessions across the ChargePoint network surged by 34% in 2025, significantly outpacing the 16% growth in new charging port installations. This trend highlights a widening gap between the rising number of electric vehicle drivers and the available infrastructure.
Why it matters
The imbalance between charging demand and infrastructure growth threatens to create longer wait times for drivers, as charging sessions now require more time than traditional gasoline stops. This shift suggests that charging hubs will increasingly evolve into retail destinations to accommodate longer stay durations.
ChargePoint added 190,000 ports to its network in 2025, but session growth exceeded installation growth by 18 percentage points. With 1 million monthly active drivers, the network has now enabled 19.3 billion total electric miles.
The players
ChargePoint
A major operator of electric vehicle charging networks that provides hardware and software solutions for residential and commercial charging.
BP Pulse
An electric vehicle charging provider known for operating large-scale charging hubs, such as its 48-bay facility at Los Angeles International Airport.
The details
Charging station efficiency is improving through hardware like the Express Solo, which can distribute power to four vehicles simultaneously and features a 600-kilowatt maximum output. To maintain reliability, the network employs artificial intelligence to diagnose technical issues using user-submitted photographs, supporting a 98% uptime for its Assure service plans.
Timeline
Charging sessions increased by 34% throughout 2025.
Vending Times published research regarding charging station spending in January 2026.
ChargePoint released its Charging Forward 2026 report on September 22, 2026.
The Home Front
The strain on public charging networks mirrors broader challenges in scaling infrastructure to keep pace with widespread electric vehicle adoption. This data follows the documented trend of charging demand significantly outpacing the deployment of new public charging ports.
If you drive an electric vehicle, expect to encounter more traffic at fast-charging stations and consider planning extra time for your stops. Drivers may want to explore mobile apps to check station availability and real-time status before heading out on long trips.
The takeaway
The gap between charger installations and driver demand suggests that public charging hubs will become increasingly busy environments in the near term. Keep track of network uptime through your preferred charging app and plan your errands around the longer charging times associated with fast-charging stops.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in charging technology and network expansion in our Electric Vehicles section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KIOSK marketplace.
Live Poll
While your electric vehicle charges, would you use that time to shop or purchase snacks?
