Why aren't we further along with public destination charging in North America?
Filling your battery when and where the EV is parked is usually cited as the main advantage of electric vehicles. It's typically cheaper, more convenient, and reputedly better for battery longevity.
But that advantage is usually raised in terms of home charging. Away from individual dwellings, public AC charging is often labeled too slow for an hour or two stop and too inconvenient for renters or visitors to use unless it's right on-site.
As a result, excitement around new L2 deployments is muted compared to flashier DC Fast Charging, and key charging solutions like curbside charging in cities and AC charging in parking garages remain stuck in pilot programs or in limited-access locations.
In this episode of Coast-to-Coast EVs, we explore the largest L2 providers in the US and Canada, the different types of AC charging locations, and reasons for the relatively lethargic pace of L2 deployments, even as DCFC posted a record-setting year in 2025.
We also discuss the overlap with low-power DC charging (25-50kW), and get your take on the most compelling places for L2 to be deployed.
Host Channels:
Eric/News Coulomb - / @newscoulomb3705
Walter/The Network Architect Channel - / @thenetworkarchitectchannel
Resources/channels mentioned in discussion:
Alternative Fuels Data Center Listing for L2 (US + Canada) - https://afdc.energy.gov/stations#/ana...
Technology Connextras - • Don't overthink electric car charging (we ...
STL EV Info - / @stl_ev_info
The Arkansas eTraveler - • Walmart EV Charging Just Dropped HUGE Hints
Chapters:
0:00 - Start
2:30 - 200K AC Ports But Still L2 Lethargy
5:12 - Our Public L2 Experiences
17:04 - L2 in US/Canada By the Numbers
23:00 - DCFC Boom vs. Underinvestment in AC
32:45 - Varying Use Cases for Public L2 Charging
43:52 - Co-location of L2 and DC Fast Charging Options
1:00:00 - Distributed Power DCFC and Adjusted Charge Times
1:04:20 - Higher Power AC or Lower Power DC for Medium Dwell Times?
1:23:27 - Projects in the Pipeline + Close
1:26:40 - ⚡Cheers, Nerds!🤓
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