A Breakdown of How Iowa Cities are Investing in EV Drivers

Per Edmunds, the electric vehicle (EV) market share in the United States is at 6.5% as of February 2026. That's down from 7.4% in 2025. Bear in mind, however, that this specific EV market share figures don't include plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), which make up a 1.6% share of the market as of 2025.

I say all of this to say that while EVs are becoming more common, they're still a relative drop-in-the-pond in the large and diverse market of cars. There's a lot of reasons why, and cost is one of them. EVs are disproportionately more expensive than gas-powered cars, and it's going to take generations and serious infrastructure investment for EV charging stations to become even as remotely recognizable as gas stations.

Precious Madubuike, Unsplash

Which State Leads the Country in EV Infrastructure?:

A new study from Compare the Market looked at EV infrastructure across the United States, including in Iowa. Before we get to Iowa specifically, it should probably come as no surprise that California is the best state when it comes to electric vehicle charging/infrastructure in America.

Per Compare the Market, California has nearly 77,000 EV chargers across more than 21,000 charging locations. California's wealth of public charges outpaces second-place New York, which has over 21,000, and even Texas (13,650).

Where Does Iowa Fit in the EV Landscape?:

According to Compare the Market, Iowa is 34th in the country for EV charging infrastructure, with 1,375 EV chargers available across 522. I'd love to know how many of those charging stations in the state exist in a Hy-Vee parking lot, as that's where I tend to see most of the EV charging stations when I'm out and about.

Compare the Market even broke down the exact number of charging locations in major Iowa cities. Dubuque ranked seventh, with Iowa City coming out on top, beating Des Moines by one location.

Cities	Number of locations
Iowa City	46
Des Moines	45
Cedar Rapids	30
Ames	23
Davenport	19
Altoona	17
Dubuque	16
West Des Moines	15
Coralville	13
Sioux City	12

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View the full study on EV charging stations in Iowa and across the country on Compare the Market's website.

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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

Source: A Breakdown of How Iowa Cities are Investing in EV Drivers

Filed Under: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Iowa City, cars, des moines, dubuque, Sioux City', vehicles