Electric vehicle drivers across the state are struggling to stay charged.

Across South Carolina, Tesla has a relatively large network of chargers. In the Columbia metro area, there are even some superchargers available, which charge up to a couple hundred miles in just about 20 minutes.

“Charging is built into the dashboard, so you can see where all the chargers are near your location,” said Tesla driver Jackson Gosnell. “I think Tesla, in particular, has done a great job with putting chargers in convenient locations. I don’t worry about it at all.”

However, South Carolinians that drive electric vehicles other than Teslas don’t have the same luck getting fuel.

“It is difficult,” said Scott Farrand, who drives a BMW i3, the car company’s first manufactured electric vehicle. “What we found out is that there aren’t many charging stations, and the ones that are there oftentimes don’t work.”

According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, South Carolina ranks 40th in the nation for fast electric vehicle chargers per capita. However, with Scout Motors building a $2-billion electric vehicle plant in Blythewood that would likely increase electric vehicle usage in the state, one question remains for all electric vehicle drivers.

Is it going to get easier to drive an electric car?

Yes, says the South Carolina Department of Transportation. SCDOT is hoping to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the state through a federally funded program called NEVI, which stands for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure.

“SCDOT’s goal is to create an equitable charging network that helps reduce range anxiety, supports economic development, and accommodates the expected growth in EV ownership,” said Hannah Robinson, a public information officer at SCDOT.

However, plans to improve electric vehicle infrastructure have been tossed around since 2022, and the Trump administration’s suspension of the NEVI program last January stalled progress.

Now, drivers are struggling to keep going.

“I try to charge my vehicle, and I only allow an hour to charge, and I get all of seven miles,” said Farrand. “It’s nothing. It’s no use at all.”

Overall E.V. usage across the state has increased in the past five years and is only expected to keep growing.

Farrand hopes the continued growth will make it easier for him to drive his car because as far as he is concerned, he is never giving it up.

“I won’t go back,” said Farrand. “When I don’t have to do oil changes, I don’t have to do maintenance, I don’t have to deal with generators, I don’t have all these things wearing out. It’s absolutely great.”