IT Home, October 13: The U.S. public electric vehicle DC fast-charging network continues to expand, but Tesla Supercharger prices are rising.
According to the Q3 2026 U.S. Fast Charging Industry Report published by the electric vehicle charging data platform Paren, 4,106 new public fast-charging ports were added across 664 charging stations between July and September.
In terms of newly added facilities, Tesla added 1,287 fast-charging ports in the third quarter and an additional 124 ports through its Supercharger for Business program, maintaining its position as the leading operator.
Beyond Tesla, North America’s electric vehicle fast-charging network joint venture IONNA ranked second with 378 new ports, followed by Walmart with 344 new ports. IONNA’s new additions more than doubled compared to the second quarter, including 44 sites acquired and upgraded from the former Circle K charging infrastructure. Paren counts sites where operators replaced equipment after taking over as new infrastructure.
The scale of newly built charging stations is also expanding. In the third quarter, the average number of charging ports per non-Tesla station increased to 5, up from 4.1 a year earlier; the proportion of new stations with only one or two ports has dropped to less than one-third. Tesla’s newly built stations average 13.1 ports, and during the quarter, 11 stations with at least 24 charging spots were opened, including one in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a total of 48 spots.
In terms of charging power, 73% of newly added fast-charging ports in the U.S. during the third quarter had a rated power of 250 kW or higher, up from 60% a year ago. Among networks other than Tesla, 35% of newly added ports had a rated power of 400 kW or higher, compared to just 10% a year ago.
As the charging network expands, user usage continues to grow. According to Paren’s data, the U.S. public fast-charging network completed 50.4 million charging sessions in the third quarter, a 26% year-over-year increase; July alone saw 17.6 million charging sessions, setting a monthly record. The national average utilization rate for fast-charging ports was 15.9%, essentially flat compared to 15.8% in the second quarter. The average utilization rate across the U.S.’s 30 major charging markets reached 21.1%, while other regions stood at 11%; Los Angeles led all major markets with a utilization rate of 31.8%.
Overall charging reliability has remained stable. Paren’s national reliability index is 93.9, a metric that incorporates successful charges, retry attempts, failed attempts, and device downtime, and is not equivalent to device online rate. Of the 52 states and territories evaluated, 50 scored 90 or higher, up from 46 a year ago; Oklahoma and Vermont have not yet reached this level.
In terms of pricing, the national average price for public fast charging in the U.S. rose to $0.54 per kWh, approximately 3.6 RMB, in the third quarter, representing a 2.7% year-over-year increase. Paren attributes this rise primarily to Tesla Supercharger price adjustments: the non-member average price increased by 15% year-over-year to $0.569 per kWh, approximately 3.8 RMB, while the member price rose by 9% year-over-year to $0.396 per kWh, approximately 2.7 RMB. Meanwhile, the average price for charging networks outside of Tesla remained steady at approximately $0.533 per kWh for the fifth consecutive quarter.
Charging stations with time-of-use pricing show more pronounced price differences. In the third quarter, the average price during peak hours reached $0.637 per kWh, while off-peak hours were priced at $0.438 per kWh—a difference of nearly $0.20. For electric vehicle owners who frequently use public fast charging, both the charging time and membership status can impact actual expenses.
In the third quarter, approximately 90% of newly added charging stations in the United States were located in urban markets; out of 664 new stations, only 68 were in rural areas. Although large charging stations and high-power equipment are increasing, the distribution of infrastructure between urban and rural areas remains uneven, and public fast-charging coverage in remote regions still needs improvement.