Tesla Leads Q3 US Fast-Charger Growth, Raises Prices — SkimNews
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- US EV fast-charging reached 80,964 ports across 14,614 locations after Q3 added 4,106 ports at 664 stations, though the rollout slowed versus a year ago with 9% fewer ports and 20% fewer stations than the prior-year period, per Paren.
- Tesla remained the top network, adding 1,287 Q3 ports plus 124 through its Supercharger for Business program; new Tesla stations averaged 13.1 ports, and its largest opening was a 48-stall site in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- IONNA surged to second place with 378 ports—more than double its Q2 total—by converting 44 former Circle K stations, while Walmart took third with 344 ports.
- New fast-charging hardware is getting more powerful: 73% of new ports were rated 250 kW or higher across all networks, and outside Tesla's network, 400+ kW ports jumped to 35% of additions from 10% a year earlier.
- EV drivers ran 50.4 million fast-charging sessions in Q3, up 26% year-over-year, with July setting a 17.6 million monthly record; national utilization crept up to 15.9%, while Los Angeles led metros at 31.8%—roughly twice the national average.
- Tesla Superchargers saw non-member prices climb 15% to 56.9 cents per kWh and member prices rise 9% to 39.6 cents, even as non-Tesla networks held at roughly 53.3 cents per kWh for a fifth straight quarter.
Why it matters: Tesla's 15% non-member and 9% member price hikes outpace competitors that have held flat at roughly 53.3 cents/kWh for five quarters, eroding the Supercharger's cost advantage just as **IONNA** more than doubled Q2 port additions to 378 and **Walmart** pushed onto the board with 344. Meanwhile, rural drivers continue losing out—only 68 of Q3's 664 new stations opened outside urban markets.
Ask SkimNews
