Buying an electric car opens an entirely new world of driving, like never needing to pay for a single drop of gasoline. Yet just because you bought an electric car or truck doesn’t mean you need to waste time and money when it’s time to charge.
Juicing up the battery of an electric vehicle (EV) costs less than filling a gas tank. But when you do a bit of research and planning, you can potentially find a handful of free electric vehicle charging stations.
According to the United States Department of Energy, 80% of electric car charging happens at home. But what about those times when you need a charge while on the road trip or if you didn’t access a charging station before jumping behind the wheel?
Use our expert tools and tips to get you and your electric car free charging in a wide range of driving scenarios.
The good news is that there are several convenient ways to recharge without spending any money — and an essential first step involves using the power of your smartphone. For example, the PlugShare app allows EV drivers to filter through all sorts of charging stations, including ones that are absolutely free.
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Available on both Apple and Android smartphones, PlugShare encourages users to provide real-time information about the location and status of charging stations. After all, a free charger is useless if every spot is full or it’s out of order when you pull up with a low battery.
ChargePoint is another great resource to help find a free charging station. It’s good advice to download several apps for chargers you regularly use. Plus, you might simply prefer the user interface of one over another.
Charging station providers such as Electrify America and EVgo will also show you information regarding station locations. Sometimes they offer promotions involving free charging at locations convenient to you at special times of the year. They also might offer rewards that provide subscriber perks, like free charging after earning enough points.
EVgo Rewards, for example, gives subscribers $10 worth of free charging once they accumulate 2,000 points. With this program, one dollar of charge equates to five earned points.
Your town or local utility company might also provide free public chargers or offer programs. You can find such free chargers in malls, other shopping center parking lots, universities, hotels and casinos, public transit stations, and even at recreation areas run by the National Park Service. Some car dealerships may provide some form of free EV charging as well.
The best things in life might be free, though they might not always be the most convenient. Chances are good that a free EV charger will offer a slower, Level 2 rate of charge. Generally speaking, this provides about 20 miles of range when an EV gets plugged in for about one hour. DC fast charging, or Level 3 chargers, are much quicker, and 30 minutes could be enough for a full charge. However, finding a free one could take a little extra searching.
Lines for free charging stations might also be an issue, or there could be no empty chargers when you arrive at a destination and need to plug in.
If you’re going to drive in an unfamiliar area and know you’ll be near the maximum range of your EV, be sure to have a backup plan in case your intended free electric car charger is unavailable.
Free chargers often get positioned in high-traffic areas like shopping malls, airports, or popular fast-food chains and grocery stores. Your town or city might operate free charging stations to promote clean energy and to encourage drivers to visit their downtowns or other commercial hubs. Using an app to find these charging stations is an invaluable tool for any EV owner.
Even if a charger might not be free, remember that the EV you purchased could come with some form of charging incentive. Tesla owners who bought their vehicle before 2017 have perpetually free access to the automaker’s network of Supercharger stations.
Electrify America, one of the largest charging station providers, has teamed with various automakers to provide free charging for a specific length of time or a certain amount of kilowatt hours of charge.
The Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup and Hyundai Kona Electric SUV each come with 250 kWh of free charge via Electrify America, equating to roughly 1,000 miles of free charging. So if you’re shopping for an EV, remember to ask if the make and model that’s catching your eye comes with an added perk like free charging.
EV charging costs less than filling a gas tank. And with the right planning you could charge for free.
Public EV charging stations are finally growing. The number of electric vehicle charging stations across the US has nearly doubled -- from 87,352 to 161,562 over the last three years and experts believe this growth trend will continue. According to the The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, at least 140,000 of these charging stations are available to the public -- versus private access like a workplace.
Public charging stations usually charge by the kilowatt hour or for the amount of time you're plugged in. But there are ways you can fuel up your EV at no cost, from manufacturer incentives to ad-driven hookups. However, these no-fee charging options are likely to shrink over time.
"As more and more people are adopting electric vehicles, free charging perks will slowly subside, and it will be a charge for charge," said Grant Gold, director of real estate solutions at EV Connect.
Until then, find out how savvy motorists are getting a free charge.
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, public charging has experienced tremendous growth since 2019 and accounting for about 88% of all charging ports. Public charging infrastructure is an important part of EV adoption as it supports long-distance travel those without access to home charging.
Some larger chain businesses offer free charging as a customer perk (and to keep you in the store longer). There are no-fee stations at dozens of Macy's department stores and Cinemark movie theaters, for example.
Kohl's also offers free charging at select locations, as do supermarkets like Fred Meyer, Stop & Shop, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Safeway and Whole Foods.
A number of hotels and inns offer free EV charging for guests, including select Marriott and Hilton locations. Tesla and owners of other EVs can also charge their vehicles for free when they stay or eat at Radisson hotels.
The software of the charging station "allows the site host to control the pricing," Gold says. "The hotel will have the option to use it as an incentive to attract guests or they can charge what they want on an individual basis."
Check ahead before making a reservation, or visit charging map services such as PlugShare, ChargeFinder or ChargeHub to view the status of area stations.
Many colleges have EV charging on campus. Some make it free for students, professors and staff and, on some campuses, even visitors.
Santa Clara University, the University of Florida and the University of Buffalo, for example, all provide free charging in partnership with ChargePoint.
Typically, there are restrictions: The University of Florida, for example, enforces a four-hour time limit, and you must have a university parking sticker if you're charging before 4:30 p.m.
There are more than 140 chargers available across 23 parks and campgrounds nationwide, according to Kampgrounds of America. Some are free, including six Level 2 charging stations at the Oasis at Death Valley in California, which are powered by the resort's onsite solar field.
Rivian sponsors dozens of Waypoint chargers at California's Yosemite National Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In a partnership with Adopt a Charger, the EV automaker is set to fund 10 years of operation and maintenance costs for both.
In January 2022, Rivian announced plans to install 10,000 more Waypoint chargers across the US and Canada by the end of 2023, including in the majority of Tennessee and Colorado state parks.
You can find a map of EV charging stations in the National Park System.
There are more than 3,600 Volta charging stalls across 35 US states and territories, mostly in shopping malls, stadiums, amusement parks and hospitals in major cities.
Volta was acquired by Shell in 2023 and uses an ad-supported model, meaning you'll be exposed to a host of ads at the charging station. But, Volta offers EV drivers access to Level 2 charging for 30 minutes for free -- which equals about 35 miles of range. You can download the Volta Charging app to find a station nearest you.
Many automakers offer free charging packages to attract new customers. Tesla no longer provides unlimited free Supercharging with new models, but it often offers complimentary charging promotions to boost sales, like at the end of a quarter.
In addition to the options cited above, there are hundreds of libraries, museums, government offices, nonprofits and private businesses that offer free EV charging.
Charging map services such as PlugShare, ChargeFinder or ChargeHub show stations across the country, with a setting for free chargers. Just go to the filters and find the option for free charging.
You can also get information on how many minutes you can charge, at what level, the status of the station and more.
Since much of this info is primarily crowdsourced, you may want to double-check its accuracy.
Read on: 12 Places That Offer EV Charging While You Shop
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