Maps and Data - U.S. Public and Private Alternative Fueling Stations by Fuel Type

This chart shows the trend of U.S. public and private alternative fueling stations by fuel type. Propane stations were the most numerous until 2011 when they were surpassed by electric vehicle charging stations. The growth in charging stations accelerated starting in 2011 following the 2010 increase of electric vehicles offered by major automakers. In 2021 alone, the number of charging stations grew by more than 50%. The number of charging stations is expected to increase as the population of electric vehicles continues to grow. The number of E85 stations has been increasing steadily since 2004 as the number of flex fuel vehicles available from major manufacturers has increased. The number of compressed natural gas (CNG) stations decreased between 1996 and 2006 (despite the increase in CNG sales during this time) largely because the average station size was increasing. CNG station counts also decreased after 2016 because of station closures, high repair and operating costs, and fleets transitioning away from CNG. The number of propane stations has also steadily decreased since 2016, which can be attributed to stations beginning to offer only bottle fueling and discontinuing vehicle fueling.

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