A Recent Study Indicates Nevada’s EV Charging Stations Could Be At Risk
You can’t operate a conventional car without fuel, and you can’t operate an electric vehicle without a charged battery. It’s fairly straightforward when you reflect on it, but whereas fuel stations are well-established landmarks globally, EV charging stations are comparatively scarce in certain regions of the United States. In states like Nevada, they are becoming increasingly uncommon.
In mid-January, Scott Allison, the proprietor of the website Scott Explains, released a personal analysis he conducted on the electric charging stations across Nevada. For those unfamiliar with the area, in 2015, the Nevada government initiated what they termed the Nevada Electric Highway project. The aim was to establish an infrastructure to support EV charging stations along various interstate routes, beginning with US-95. The initiative later expanded to include US-93, US-50, I-15, and I-80. However, Allison notes that from the state’s original 29 fast-charge EV stations, only seven remain operational, leaving significant service gaps that can extend up to 232 miles. Unless you have an electric SUV featuring one of the longest battery ranges available, you won’t be making that journey without a lengthy stop to recharge at a slower EV station. And no, enhancing the vehicle’s range by employing eco mode and utilizing regenerative braking won’t assist.
Once the funding ran out, the stations did too
Per Scott Allison’s research, the operators of the EV stations depended on grant funding to “acquire and install” the essential equipment. Given the extensive areas with minimal population (approximately 90% of Nevada’s landscape by his estimates), these financial aids were crucial for establishing these charging sites. While one EV station ceased operations in 2021, the majority closed down between March 2023 and October 2025 — a relatively brief timeframe. And since Allison disclosed his findings in January 2026 and only possesses data on when a charger was “last online” until December 2025, it’s feasible that his information is already outdated. This is partly because the data EV drivers utilize to locate nearby chargers is also outdated.
During his data collection for the blog post, he encountered a “very nice site” in Alamo, Nevada (not to be confused with Alamo, Texas). The site appeared to be well-kept and welcoming, except for one issue: The chargers were nonfunctional and have remained unplugged since March 2025. Based on comments from other EV users, this specific location was designated as “available” despite being disconnected from the grid. The entire northern half and most of the eastern section of Nevada are utterly devoid, leaving EV drivers without a dependable source of rapid charging.
Nevada’s electric highway is receiving some support, but it may not be sufficient
In the interest of fairness, Scott Allison acknowledged that there has been a significant effort to enhance the number of charging stations throughout Nevada, but this presents a double-edged sword. As he has elaborated, the initiatives are primarily concentrated around Las Vegas and throughout I-15 and I-80. While he remains hopeful that the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program might assist in improving the situation and aid the Nevada Department of Transportation in establishing a “reliable charging network,” he doesn’t anticipate much progress until late 2026.
But, you may wonder, what stops new EV charging station owners from running low on funds, leading to even more deserted locations? Allison pondered the same question. As previously mentioned, rural operators require government support to remain operational, and according to Allison, they must achieve an uptime of 97% (that is, they are operational and accessible 354 days a year). If they fail to meet this threshold, they do not merit government investment.
Ultimately, the future of Nevada’s electric highway may depend on the success of electric vehicles nationwide. If manufacturers can market EVs to a significant number of Nevadans and/or tourists visiting Nevada (and if they can resolve the semiconductor shortage), then Nevada’s roads might see sufficient traffic to warrant the maintenance of existing fast EV charge stations and the construction of new ones.