Paren Q2 U.S. EV Charging Report: Fast-Charging Stations Getting Larger and More Reliable; Deployment on Record Pace -- But Utilization Risks Emerging In Lower Adoption Markets

SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Paren Inc., a provider of EV charging data, analytics and insights, today released its State of the Industry Report: U.S. EV Fast Charging - Q2 2025, which shows U.S. DC fast charging (DCFC) infrastructure growth is on track to surpass previous yearly highs, despite government pushback. The report, which provides in-depth analysis of the evolving electric vehicle fast charging landscape, also reveals a trend toward larger stations with more ports and high-power chargers, as well as improved reliability and more predictable pricing — all of which is good news for EV drivers.

The report also includes the first in a series of forecasts: predicting a 19% increase in year-over-year port deployment across the U.S. in 2025, as many new charge-point operators (CPOs) execute their growth plans.

"2025 is going to be a record year for deployment of DC fast charging ports — and 2024 was already the highest year on record," said Loren McDonald, chief analyst at Paren. "Charging 2.0 players are deploying new — and larger — stations at a breakneck pace."

Key Findings:

• Major CPOs are opening new or expanding existing stations to include 8, 10, 12, or more ports as the fast-charging market rapidly consolidates around high-output hardware that supports speed, scalability, and future demand.
  
  
• The national average utilization rate declined to 16.1% from 16.6% in Q1 due, in part, to seasonality and warmer weather. In a potential warning sign for the industry, however, we observed declining utilization rates across some unexpected markets — suggesting that new charger deployments may be beginning to outpace demand, particularly in regions with lower EV adoption.
  
  
• Paren's U.S. Reliability Index measured a year-over-year improvement of 5.3% as new stations are deployed and many older ones are retired or replaced.
  
  
• The national average price per kWh declined to $0.48 in Q2, down from $0.50 in Q1. This decrease was partly driven by the continued shift to time-of-use (TOU) pricing — with 366 stations nationwide transitioning from fixed to TOU pricing, one-third of which were in California.
  
  
• Charging providers continued to test pricing strategies and elasticity: 29% of stations with either fixed or TOU pricing adjusted their rates in Q2, either up or down. Notably, despite the overall national decline, California saw an average price increase of 3 cents among stations that changed their pricing since last quarter.

"Paren's Q2 2025 report highlights the steady buildout of the public charging network and intricacies of deploying charging stations ahead of demand and with future-ready capacity," said Heiko Schmidt, VP, Network Strategy & Consumer Offering at Mercedes-Benz HPC North America. "While this approach may apply short-term pressure on utilization, we believe that charge point operators who deliver a strong customer experience — prioritizing speed, reliability, seamless payment and pricing transparency, premium amenities, and safe, well-lit locations — will earn long-term loyalty from EV drivers."

The report concludes that the shift into "Charging 2.0" continues at an accelerated pace as CPOs focus on improving the EV driver experience with increased access and reliability. This suggests a high level of confidence that demand for DC fast-charging will continue to increase even as policy-driven incentives are rolled back.

Download the Report/Join our Webinar:

• The full report is available now at https://www.paren.app/reports.
• Paren will be hosting a free webinar for media and the industry to review the key findings and implications of this quarter's report.
  • Wednesday, July 30 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
  • Register here

About Paren
Founded by Florent Breton (CEO) and Bill Ferro (CTO), Paren Inc. is based out of San Francisco, CA. Acting as a neutral platform, Paren aggregates, enriches, and serves the most comprehensive data on the essential aspects of EV charging. Its data is accessible via download, an online application, and API Gateway. Paren is the most dependable and trusted partner for electric vehicle charging data insights. It works with charge point operators, automakers, fleet operators, map makers, and industry analysts. Its analysis and team are frequently quoted in the national press, including The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Automotive News, The New York Times, and more.

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SOURCE Paren, Inc