EV Chargers Now Outnumber Gas Pumps In California, Is This A Turning Point?
California has declared that it now has the country's most extensive EV charging network at 178,549 publicly accessible ports as of 2024. That's twice the number since 2022, which now bypasses the roughly 120,000 gasoline pumps statewide. Moreover, the divide widens even further when taking single-family home chargers into account; the state reckons that would add more than 700,000 to the running tally.
Last week , the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced that the number of EV charging ports now outnumber gasoline pumps by as much 48%. In terms of public and shared EV charging stations, California had installed 178,549 ports at the end of 2024. In contrast, gas pumps trailed at around 120,000 nozzles. If you factor in the estimated 700,000 private chargers installed in single-family homes, EV chargers handily outnumber gas nozzles by a factor of seven to one.
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While the achievement is impressive, it must be noted that most of the chargers are merely Level 2 units. At maximum efficiency, L2 charging provides an average of 40 miles of range per hour via 240 volt AC. Of the 178.549 charters, only 16,971 are Level 3 DC fast chargers capable of 60-80 miles range in 20 minutes. The CEC-estimated 700k home chargers are also Level 2 units.
What this means is that the majority of chargers still pale in terms of range per minute compared to pumping gas at a station. Indeed, the argument that L2 is really all EV drivers need for short range in-city driving makes complete sense. However, the statewide network isn't ideal for traversing longer distances, especially outside of major cities. EV charging (especially at Level 1 and 2) is literally a waiting game, so unless California governor, Gavin Newsom, and his team think quality rather than quantity, this achievement is somewhat of a moot point. Time, after all (and ironically) is what many Californians complain about not having enough of when you factor the long daily commutes and work hours.
While this EV charger feat is something other states should strive for, California has had a leg up since it's essentially the home turf of automotive electrification; Tesla, Lucid, Faraday, and Rivian, to name a few, have their roots here. The CEC has plans to expand the alternative fuel infrastructure starting this year, thanks to a $1.4 billion budget. That being said, a combination of factors, such as the recent tapering interest in EVs (due to growing concerns on service costs and battery replacements) and the Trump administration's supposed executive action against EVs could put a damper on those plans.
