Video: EV 101: Public Charging Stations: How Much They Cost and Where to Find Them

We're going to share how to find them and how much they can cost so you'll feel confident taking your EVs on longer trips. Here's what you need to know. First, how do you find one? As an EV owner, sooner or later you're gonna need a public charger, either because you're on a road trip or you're in a pickle and have an unplanned need for electricity. Luckily, there's a long list of in-car services and apps to help. The first source of help usually comes with the car. Many automakers offer apps or in-car location finders is part of a navigation system that helps you plan your route and locate chargers along the way. The closest thing to a seamless all-in-one experience is Tesla's in-car trip planner that pairs with its extensive network of supercharger DC fast chargers and level 2 destination charging stations. Within the car, Tesla owners can identify both level 2 and DC fast charging locations and whether or not they're available or in use. Teslas can plan routes with charging stops and when drivers get to the charging station, they could plug in and automatically be invoiced for their charging session all within the Tesla ecosystem. Various charging networks have their own apps with registration and payment systems to locate and use their chargers. ChargePoint, Evgo, and Electrify America all have substantial and growing numbers of DC fast chargers. Before downloading any of these apps, go online and research the company with chargers most convenient to your home or regular drive routes. Chargers are not distributed equally across the nation. For example, California and New York have the most public chargers out of all the states and Alaska and South Dakota have the least. Lastly, some third-party apps can also be helpful sources of information for navigating the charging landscape. Two biggies, Google Maps and Apple Maps offer a quick way to search for charging, and these apps are probably already on your phone. Both Google Maps and Apple Maps allow you to search for charging stations nearby or in any location and provide some information on stations such as network, access, and directions. PlugShare is another useful and popular free app that maps and compiles data on stations from most public charging networks, as well as non-network chargers and private residential chargers that owners sometimes share. It allows you to filter for a bunch of specifics such as charging network, plug type, power levels, and whether a parking garage location requires payment for entry. It also has a trip planning function and allows payment at stations that accept its Pay with PlugShare feature. So we figured out how to find public chargers, but how much do they cost? This answer is more complicated because power costs vary by region and time of use as well as by delivery method and company. But as a rule, charging at public stations will cost more than home charging. And DC fast charging is often more expensive than level 2 charging. In general, most charging services billed by the amount of energy you use whenever possible but you may also be billed by how long you're using the charging station depending on the state regulations. In Illinois, for example, Electrify America bills 48 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity for guests and 36 cents per kilowatt hour for paid members of their service. EVgo bills between 22 and 30 cents per kilowatt hour depending on membership status. These rates also change based on location so it's best to look them up and do some comparing before committing. Well, what about free charging? Well, it exists if you know where to look. In many places, there are free chargers available in their shopping areas, parking garages, and other public spaces. For example, the Volta network, which is in 31 states and is being acquired by Shell, has pay stations but also operates more than 2000 free-to-use level 2 chargers which are subsidized by ads at the chargers themselves. They're often found at shopping and entertainment locations. One more thing to consider, if purchasing a new EV, many automakers offer free or discounted charging incentives for a set amount of time or miles, so make sure to research those before making your decision. And for more information on that, check out our EV Buying Guide on cars.com. Figuring out a compatible charging network as well as costs should help you plan for your trip needs and maybe even lessen a bit of your range anxiety. To learn more about what you need to know to own an electric vehicle, check out more from our EV 101 series at cars.com/EV. (upbeat music)