Summary
- Owners report more issues with non-Tesla charging networks like Shell Recharge, EVgo, or Blink
- Rivian’s charging network ranks second only to Tesla in terms of fewest reported problems
- Hardware issues are now more common than payment problems at public charging stations
- Tesla and Rivian-operated charging networks have fewer reported problems compared to third-party providers
- Consumer Reports recommends having multiple accounts with saved payment information to avoid issues at public charging stations
Article
A recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports revealed that owners reported more issues with charging networks operated by companies such as Shell Recharge, EVgo, or Blink compared to those operated by Tesla and Rivian. In fact, owners reported more than ten times the number of issues with non-automaker charging networks than with Tesla’s charging stations. This indicates that hardware-related issues have become more prevalent than payment problems when it comes to public charging sessions for electric vehicle owners.
The survey drew data from approximately 5,700 charging sessions involving 1,230 EV and plug-in hybrid owners. It found that owners experienced issues in one out of every five public charging sessions. While there was not significant variation in reported problems by region, the rate of reported problems varied significantly across different charging networks. Owners reported problems at Tesla charging stations 4% of the time and 5% of the time at Rivian-operated stations, while they experienced issues 48% of the time at Shell Recharge, 43% at EVgo, and 41% at Blink stations.
Rivian introduced a grading system for its charging network via its route planner last year, which seems to have improved the charging experience for owners. The survey results contradict a previous J.D. Power study that suggested Tesla Supercharging was losing its edge over other public charging options. The most common reported problems at charging stations were hardware-related, accounting for 36% of all reported issues, followed by various other issues such as payment problems, charging power issues, and miscellaneous problems.
Among the hardware issues reported by EV owners, broken screens were the most common problem, representing 76% of all hardware-related issues. Other problems included damaged charging cables or connectors, chargers that could not physically connect to vehicles, and cables that were too short. Additionally, of those who reported payment issues, 56% were able to pay but encountered another issue preventing them from charging, while 25% were unable to pay at a specific charger and had to move to another one.
Consumer Reports recommends best practices for public charging, such as having multiple accounts with saved payment information to avoid issues with charger interfaces and ensuring a smooth charging process. General charging best practices like fast-charging only up to 80% and preconditioning the battery pack before arrival can also help improve the charging experience for EV owners. With automaker-funded networks like Ionna expanding rapidly, future updates from this data set may provide further insights on consumer approval of public charging networks.
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