Quick answer: Tesla Supercharger, Electrify America, and EVgo are the three largest public DC fast-charging networks in the U.S., but they're sized very differently than commonly reported — Tesla operates roughly 8,500 sites with about 80,000 individual stalls, not "60,000 stations." Pricing is set by membership tier and location rather than a single flat rate, and comparing networks by "cost per hour" (a common shortcut) actually rewards slower charging. Here's what each network actually offers in 2026, and how to compare them properly.
By Morgan Ellis, Editor at GearUp Insights
Network Size and Coverage: The Real Numbers
Charging network comparisons often confuse two different things: the number of physical locations ("stations" or "sites") and the number of individual charging connectors at those locations ("stalls" or "ports"). A single station can have anywhere from 2 to over 100 stalls, so getting these numbers backwards can make a network look 10 times bigger or smaller than it actually is.
| Network | U.S./Global Sites | Individual Stalls | Max Power | Non-Tesla Access |
|---|
| Tesla Supercharger | ~8,500 sites globally (~3,000+ in the U.S.) | ~80,000+ stalls globally | Up to 500 kW at newest V4 sites; most existing stalls 250 kW | 27,500+ stalls open to non-Tesla EVs as of March 2026 — not the whole network |
| Electrify America | ~1,187 U.S. stations | Multiple stalls per station, mostly 150–350 kW | Up to 350 kW at Hyper-Fast stations | All brands (CCS); NACS being added at newer sites |
| EVgo | ~1,200 U.S. stations | ~5,280 stalls (including eXtend partner sites) | 50–350 kW, varies by site | All brands (CCS/CHAdeMO); NACS rolling out through 2026 |
Tesla's network is still the largest by a wide margin, but "60,000 stations" and "700,000 chargers" — numbers that circulate in a lot of charging comparisons — don't match Tesla's own reported figures. As of mid-2026, Tesla reports roughly 8,500 Supercharger sites and about 80,000 individual stalls worldwide.
Membership and Pricing: What You Actually Pay
None of these networks charge a single flat nationwide rate. Pricing varies by state, by station, and often by time of day. What you can compare more reliably is the membership structure — the discount each network offers over its standard walk-up rate.
| Network | Free/Pay-as-you-go tier | Paid membership | Typical discount |
|---|
| Tesla Supercharger | Standard rate for Tesla owners | Non-Tesla monthly membership available in some markets | Varies; reduces per-kWh rate for non-Tesla vehicles |
| Electrify America | Pass (free, no discount) | Pass+, $7/month | About 25% off energy rate |
| EVgo | Basic, $0.99/month, no discount | Plus ($6.99/mo) or PlusMax ($12.99/mo) | Roughly 25% (Plus) to 35% (PlusMax), per EVgo's published tiers |
Electrify America's Pass+ fee has increased over time — it was $4/month as recently as 2023 and is $7/month as of 2026 — while still advertising roughly a 25% discount. If you fast-charge in public only occasionally, the free/pay-as-you-go tier is usually the better deal; the math flips once you're charging several times a month.
What Happened to Volta
If you've seen "Volta" listed as a charging network with free retail charging, that information is out of date. Shell acquired Volta in 2023, folded most of its charging locations into the Shell Recharge brand, then wound down the Volta brand entirely in 2025 — the remaining assets were sold to an Australian company, Jolt, in November 2025. Charging that used to show up under "Volta" is now most likely to appear as Shell Recharge or under Jolt's branding, and "always free" is no longer a safe assumption; check pricing in-app before you plug in.
How to Actually Compare Charging Costs
A common shortcut in charging comparisons is "cost per hour" — session cost divided by charging time. It sounds intuitive, but it rewards the slowest charger: if two networks charge you the same $40 for a session, the one that takes five hours instead of one looks "cheaper per hour" purely because it's slower. That's not a useful way to choose a network.
A more useful comparison holds one variable steady at a time:
- If price is the same, compare speed. Faster charging gets you back on the road sooner — that's the real advantage, not a lower "cost per hour."
- If speed is the same, compare price per kWh, including any membership fee, at the specific stations you'd actually use.
- Always check session fees and idle fees, which can matter more than the headline per-kWh rate for shorter charging stops.
Because pricing is set by location and membership tier rather than a single national number, the only way to get an accurate comparison for your situation is to check the app for the specific stations along your regular routes.
Choosing a Network for Your Situation
- You drive a Tesla or an NACS-native EV: Supercharger access is usually the most convenient option, though not every stall on the network is open to non-Tesla vehicles — confirm access at your specific route stops.
- You drive a CCS-equipped EV and take long highway trips: Electrify America's Hyper-Fast (350 kW) sites are built around interstate corridors; Pass+ is worth it if you charge in public more than a couple of times a month.
- You mostly charge in cities or at retail locations: EVgo's urban footprint and eXtend partner sites (Pilot/Flying J, grocery chains) tend to be more convenient than highway-focused networks.
- You rely mainly on home or workplace Level 2 charging: Network choice matters less; focus on whichever public network has the most reliable coverage on the routes you actually drive.
We're not going to hand you a "best network for your region" ranking — we don't have route-level reliability and density data to back one up, and neither does most content that makes this claim confidently. The honest answer is to check PlugShare and each network's own app for your specific regular routes before committing to a membership.
What Drivers Should Actually Do
- Don't assume the numbers you've seen elsewhere are current. Network size, pricing, and even which companies own which brands (see: Volta) change fast in this industry.
- Check the app for real pricing at stations you'll actually use, not a national average.
- Only pay for a membership if you'll use it enough to break even — for Electrify America's Pass+, that's roughly once a month at typical session sizes; for EVgo, it depends on which tier.
- If you're deciding between networks for a specific trip, compare total session cost and total time, not a derived "cost per hour" figure.
Our Take
Charging network comparisons age fast — memberships get repriced, companies get sold off, and "network size" gets reported in whatever unit makes the number look most impressive. We'd rather tell you what's true as of mid-2026 and show you how to verify it yourself than hand you a tidy ranking that's wrong by the time you read it.
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Data Sources: Tesla Supercharger network data via Supercharge.info and Tesla's Q1/Q2 2026 investor updates; Electrify America official pricing page (electrifyamerica.com/pricing) and FAQ; EVgo official station data (evgo.com) and AFDC (Alternative Fuels Data Center) port counts; Shell plc FY2023 Form 20-F and subsequent reporting on the Volta acquisition and wind-down; Utility Dive and C-Store Dive reporting on the Volta-to-Jolt asset sale (November 2025).