Public EV Charging Fails Less Often. Here's How to Plan for It

In August 2026, trade coverage of J.D. Power's public charging study reported that 12% of public charging visits failed: an all-time low for the study, but still roughly one visit in eight. The plug, the app, the payment and the account all have to work, so plan a backup stop on any trip that depends on one charger. Federal minimum standards cover only chargers built with federal money, so what you can expect depends partly on who paid for the station.

Key takeaways

J.D. Power's 2026 survey of 6,594 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid owners found a 12% failed-visit rate, down from 14% in 2025 and 19% in 2024.
Federally funded chargers must meet 23 CFR 680: port uptime above 97%, contactless card payment, no membership and a per-kWh price shown up front. Chargers built without that money are not bound by it.
A federal court ruled on January 23, 2026 that the February 2025 NEVI suspension was unlawful; the program runs under FHWA guidance of August 11, 2025.
Non-Tesla EVs with a CCS port generally need an automaker-approved adapter and an activated account for Superchargers; some newer models have a built-in NACS port.
Plug and Charge removes the card and app tap, but only on supported car, network and account combinations.

What it means for you

New EV owners: set up accounts on two or three networks before you need them.
Road trippers: pick a backup charger for each leg. Federally funded corridor stations must be open 24/7 and take contactless cards.
Non-Tesla drivers eyeing Superchargers: check your automaker's adapter and app steps, and use only approved adapters.
Apartment dwellers on public Level 2: satisfaction with Level 2 fell in 2026, so keep a second station in your routine.
Used-EV shoppers: check the port type (CCS or NACS) and Plug and Charge support for that model year.

What the 2026 data shows

J.D. Power's study is industry research based on owner surveys, run with PlugShare. Per trade coverage of the study, the 2026 edition surveyed 6,594 owners of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from January to June 2026 and found a 12% failed-visit rate, against 14% in 2025 and 19% in 2024. These figures are as reported by the trade press.

A second report defines the measure as attempts in which an owner arrives at a station but cannot charge. On a 1,000-point scale, DC fast-charging satisfaction rose 12 points to 666, while Level 2 (slower charging) fell 12 points to 595, mainly on ease of payment and ease of charging.

In the previous year's release, a charger that was out of service or not working properly accounted for 60% of failed visits in 2025. The 2026 coverage gives no cause breakdown.

For scale, the Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center listed 82,733 public electric station locations with 261,083 ports on October 20, 2026, including 79,010 DC fast ports (home chargers excluded).

Federal rules for funded chargers

The federal minimum standards sit in 23 CFR part 680, first published in the Federal Register on February 28, 2023. They apply to projects funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program and to publicly accessible chargers funded with other Title 23 highway money. Chargers built without such money are not covered. The duties fall on states or other direct recipients, who must keep chargers compliant for at least five years after opening. The provisions that matter at the plug, from the eCFR text as of October 2026:

Topic	What the rule says	Section
Uptime	Each charging port must have an average annual uptime of greater than 97%	680.116(b)
Payment	Unless charging is permanently free: a contactless method accepting major debit and credit cards, plus either a toll-free phone number or an SMS option; no membership required; power not delayed or limited by payment method or membership	680.106(f)
Price	Shown before the session starts, based on $/kWh, at the real-time price; the price at the start cannot change during the session; other fees must be displayed and explained	680.116(a)
Open data	Real-time port status, price, connector types and power ratings free to third-party apps through an API	680.116(c)
Connectors	Each DC fast port needs at least one permanently attached CCS Type 1 connector; each Level 2 port needs a J1772 connector	680.106(c)
Power and size	At least four ports per station; corridor DC fast ports able to supply up to 150 kW each	680.106(b), (d)
Hours	Corridor stations 24/7; other stations at least during the host site's business hours	680.106(e)
Software standards	OCPP 2.0.1 between charger and network; ISO 15118-2 and Plug and Charge capability; networks able to exchange data using OCPI 2.2.1 (all by February 28, 2024)	680.108

What 97% uptime allows

The rule measures uptime per port, recalculated monthly over the previous twelve months:

uptime % = ((525,600 - (T_outage - T_excluded)) / 525,600) x 100

525,600    = minutes in a 365-day year
T_outage   = total minutes of outage in the year
T_excluded = outage minutes outside the operator's control

At 97%, a port can log just under 15,768 minutes of counted outage a year (3% of 525,600), about 263 hours or 11 days. Outages outside the operator's control don't count if it can show the port would otherwise have worked: utility interruptions, vehicle faults, scheduled maintenance, vandalism and natural disasters. Hours outside the station's stated opening hours are excluded too. Total downtime can therefore exceed 11 days. A port is "up" only when its hardware and software are online and it delivers the minimum power level, so software and network faults count against the operator. A compliant port can still be broken the day you arrive.

Where the NEVI program stands

On February 6, 2025, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) suspended approval of all state NEVI plans and barred new obligations of NEVI funds. On August 11, 2025 it issued interim final guidance that supersedes all earlier NEVI guidance, including the June 2024 and December 2024 documents, and lets states use a streamlined plan format. It states that part 680 applies to all NEVI projects. FHWA's NEVI page (updated February 5, 2026) lists it.

On January 23, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (Judge Tana Lin) entered judgment for 20 states and the District of Columbia (State of Washington v. U.S. Department of Transportation, No. 2:25-cv-00848-TL). It sets aside the 2025 suspension under the Administrative Procedure Act and bars the department from suspending previously approved plans (the plaintiffs' and those of any NEVI jurisdiction that has not fully obligated its 2022–2025 funds) or withholding funds outside the law's terms. No appeal could be confirmed as of October 2026. For drivers, NEVI stations follow each state's plan and schedule, and part 680 applies to them.

Superchargers in a non-Tesla EV

SAE International's J3400 describes the North American Charging System (NACS), the connector Tesla developed, published in December 2023 and revised on September 30, 2024. What a driver needs depends on the car's port and the automaker:

GM (Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac): GM's support page says a GM EV can use certain Tesla Superchargers (select V3 and later) with a GM-approved NACS DC adapter, after you activate Tesla Supercharger under Public Charging in the brand's app and enter a credit card. You then find, start and pay for sessions in that app.
Ford: Ford's support page says a Fast Charging Adapter is required at designated Tesla Superchargers, and that a different adapter is needed for Level 1 and Level 2 AC NACS chargers.
Cars with a built-in NACS port: Hyundai's NACS FAQ says the 2025 IONIQ 5 is its first model with a native NACS port and comes with a CCS adapter (the IONIQ 5 N lacks the native port). Funded DC fast ports must have a CCS connector, so keep that adapter in the car.

Other automakers set their own steps and model-year limits; check your brand's page before buying an adapter.

Plug and Charge, apps and accounts

Under the federal definition, with Plug and Charge you plug in, the car is authenticated through ISO 15118 digital certificates, and the session starts and is paid for with no other action. Electrify America's Plug&Charge page says that "all Electrify America chargers are Plug&Charge capable, not all vehicles are." It requires an eligible vehicle, Electrify America charging benefits (a Premium Offer) and a one-time enrollment in the Electrify America app. Some automakers put the steps in their own app. Supported models are listed by model year, so a used car from a listed brand may not qualify. Ford says its BlueOval Charge Network membership enables Plug & Charge at designated Tesla Superchargers and Electrify America. The car, the network and the account all have to match.

Frequently asked questions

Can the price change in the middle of my session?

At chargers covered by 23 CFR 680, no: the price shown at the start cannot change during the session. Chargers built without federal money are not bound by this, so check the screen or app before you plug in.

Can I use a third-party adapter at a Supercharger?

Check your automaker first. Ford says to use only adapters sold or provided by Ford or Tesla. GM "highly discourages" third-party adapters and says damage from non-GM-approved parts is not covered by the vehicle warranty.

Does J3400 replace the CCS connector?

Not in the federal rule. Each funded DC fast port must have at least one permanently attached CCS Type 1 connector, and the text does not bar extra connectors. FHWA said in December 2024 that its guidance allowed J3400 alongside CCS; the August 2025 guidance replaced that guidance and does not address connectors.

What can I do if a funded charger is broken?

States or other direct recipients must give customers a way to report outages and malfunctions, with multilingual and accessible options. Report through the network, noting the station and port number; a report doesn't guarantee a repair date.

Will Plug and Charge work at a network my car doesn't list?

Not necessarily. Funded chargers must be Plug and Charge capable, but the network must also support your car, model year and account. If not, start with the app or a contactless card.

A pre-trip charging checklist

In each network's app, confirm your account, payment method and any Plug and Charge enrollment.
For a Supercharger stop in a non-Tesla car, confirm you have an approved adapter (or a native NACS port) and have set up Supercharger access in the app your automaker specifies (its own app or, for some native-NACS models, Tesla's).
If your car has a NACS port, pack the CCS adapter for other fast-charging networks.
Choose a backup charger within range for each leg, since about 12% of visits fail.
Carry a contactless card; funded sites also offer phone or SMS payment.
After a failed session, report it and screenshot the error.