This Isn’t a Review. It’s What Actually Happens on the Road.
You ever get down to 9% battery in a freezing parking lot at night with no idea if the charger you’re headed to even works?
Yeah. That was me — more than once.
This isn’t a glossy review. It’s not sponsored. Nobody handed me a press car or told me what to write. This is 11,842 miles of real-world charging across Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America, and ChargePoint over four months in 2025. I drove through storms, deserts, traffic jams, and lonely late-night lots that felt like the set of a horror movie.
I rotated through three EVs — a Tesla Model Y, a Rivian R1S, and a Ford Mach-E. I charged at 147 different fast chargers in 58 cities across five states.
Sometimes it was great. Sometimes it was chaos. But by the end of it, I had one goal: figure out which network you can actually rely on — and which ones you should avoid unless you’ve got snacks, patience, and zero schedule.
How I Tested This — No Shortcuts, No Simulations
I kept it simple, but consistent.
The Vehicles:
- Tesla Model Y Long Range (NACS) — 330-mile range, smooth Tesla integration
- Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium (CCS) — solid range, software quirks
- Rivian R1S (CCS) — big battery, great ride, slow to wake up sometimes
The Routes:
- Boston to Chicago in January
- Phoenix to Los Angeles, 113°F
- Denver to Seattle — mostly solo
- A full week of Midwest backroads with more cows than people
- LA holiday traffic over Presidents’ Day weekend
- 3-state loop through the Rockies with under-10% battery moments
The Networks:
- Tesla Supercharger — 58 stations tested
- Electrify America — 53 sessions
- ChargePoint — 36 stops, mostly city-based
What I Measured:
- Did the charger actually work?
- How fast did I get from 10–80%?
- How long did it take to start charging?
- What did I pay?
- Was there lighting, food, a bathroom — or just a sketchy corner lot?
Tesla Supercharger: Still the One to Beat
TL;DR:
- Worked 95% of the time
- Fast and stupidly easy
- Crowded sometimes, especially now that non-Teslas are allowed
- Still the most reliable network by a mile
Let’s start with the obvious. Tesla’s network just works. You pull in, plug in, and that’s it. No tapping cards, no “app not responding,” no charger that reboots mid-session and leaves you staring at a black screen.
Across 58 Supercharger stops, I had three minor issues, all resolved within 10 minutes. One charger didn’t engage right away. Another was throttled due to pairing with a busy stall. That’s it.
Charging speeds?
Consistent. I hit 217 kW on the Model Y regularly. Non-Tesla speeds (via Magic Dock) were a little slower — usually around 180 — but still faster than anything EA or ChargePoint gave me on average.
Pricing?
Fair… when it’s not surge time. My lowest session was $0.29/kWh in rural Nevada. Highest was $0.52/kWh in downtown LA during peak traffic. You get what you pay for. It’s transparent, though — the app shows the price before you plug in.
Waits?
Getting worse. Now that Ford, Rivian, and others are rolling out adapters, I started seeing serious lines at popular locations. Sacramento on a Saturday: 25-minute wait, 12 cars deep. The app told me in advance, and it was accurate. Still, not ideal when you’re at 6%.
Locations?
Well-lit. Usually near food or a hotel. A few were tucked behind warehouses, but even those felt safer than most EA sites. I’d let my kid charge there solo. Can’t say that for the other networks.
Bottom line:
If you drive a Tesla, this is your default. If you drive anything else, get an adapter. Supercharger reliability saved me at least five times when CCS chargers failed back to back.
Electrify America: Big Promises, Hit-or-Miss Execution
TL;DR:
- Worked about 70% of the time
- Fast when it worked — I hit 230+ kW once
- Frustrating as hell when it didn’t
- Too many broken chargers and no one on-site to fix them
I really wanted to root for EA. When it works, it’s honestly great. But the inconsistency will mess up your whole trip if you’re not ready.
Out of 53 stops, 16 had serious problems. Either the charger didn’t start, failed mid-session, or the entire station was down. Four locations were completely offline when I showed up — no warning, just cones.
Charging speed?
When it worked, I got 180–210 kW on the Rivian. That’s solid. But I had sessions where the speed dropped to 43 kW for no reason. Replugging sometimes fixed it, sometimes didn’t.
The app?
Better than it used to be. Real-time stall status was usually accurate. Plug & Charge worked great with some vehicles — didn’t work at all with others. And initiating a session always took longer than I wanted: 2 to 3 minutes before power flowed.
Pricing?
More predictable than ChargePoint, less than Tesla. Standard rate hovered around $0.43/kWh, and the Pass+ membership brought it down to $0.36. Idle fees kick in quick — $0.40/min after 10 minutes. That’s fair. Keeps people moving.
Location quality?
Wildly inconsistent. One site was in a clean new Wawa lot with lights, food, and bathrooms. Another was behind a deserted mall loading dock with one flickering light and a guy digging through a dumpster 20 feet away. No joke.
Bottom line:
Use EA when it’s your only highway option — but never trust it as your only stop. Always have a backup charger within range. And if you see a bad review on PlugShare? Believe it.
ChargePoint: Reliable-ish in Cities, Not for Road Trips
TL;DR:
- Good for top-offs during errands
- Slow, often under-delivering
- Lots of outdated stations and vague app directions
- Not great when you’re in a hurry or on the highway
ChargePoint is weird. It’s not a charging network in the same sense as Tesla or EA. It’s a platform. Businesses buy and run their own ChargePoint hardware — which means quality is all over the map.
I used 36 ChargePoint DC fast chargers. Only 25 worked properly. The others were either too slow (under 50 kW), shut down mid-session, or completely offline.
Speeds?
Rarely hit 125 kW, even on units labeled that way. Most hovered around 70–90, even when no one else was plugged in. One gave me 23 kW the whole session. I thought it was broken — turns out that was just “normal” for that location.
Ease of use?
Mixed. The app usually worked, but stations inside parking garages were hard to find. I once spent 11 minutes walking around a downtown Denver structure trying to find a charger the app said was “right here.” It wasn’t.
Pricing?
All over the place. Some stations charged $0.31/kWh, some $0.65. A few charged per minute. I saw one that had a $3 “session fee” before even starting. You never know what you’re getting unless you click deep into the station details.
Location type?
Almost entirely urban or suburban. Great coverage in cities. Terrible highway presence. If you’re road-tripping, don’t count on them.
Bottom line:
ChargePoint works when you’re grabbing lunch in the city or parked at a coworking space. But if you’re down to 12% and 45 miles from the next charger? Don’t gamble on it.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
| Feature | Tesla | Electrify America | ChargePoint |
| Avg Success Rate | 95% | 70% | 69% |
| Avg Charging Speed | 217 kW (Tesla), 183 kW (non) | 189 kW | 90–120 kW (claimed), ~70 kW (real) |
| Plug & Charge | Seamless | Inconsistent | Rarely works |
| App Accuracy | Excellent | Better than 2023, still glitchy | Confusing for indoor/garage locations |
| Station Quality | Usually excellent | Mixed bag | Depends entirely on owner/operator |
| Urban Coverage | Medium | Medium | High |
| Highway Coverage | High | High | Low |
| Avg Cost | $0.37/kWh | $0.43/kWh (or $0.36 w/ Pass+) | $0.31–$0.65/kWh |
What I Think After 11,842 Miles
Tesla Supercharger wins — no surprise. It’s not perfect, but it’s consistent. I never once had to replan a trip because a Supercharger was down. That alone makes it worth adapting to if you’re not already driving a Tesla.
Electrify America is improving, but I still don’t trust it without a backup plan. If you’re traveling long distances on CCS, bring an adapter (if your car allows it), and always have alternatives mapped out.
ChargePoint is great for errands. That’s it. Don’t rely on them for anything critical.
If you’re buying an EV in 2025, factor in the charging experience — not just the car. Because the difference between a smooth trip and a nightmare? It’s rarely about the range anymore. It’s about whether the charger you’re heading to is actually working when you get there.
