Both government agencies and private owners are deploying public charging stations in the US at a combined rate of about 180 units a month, according to the latest figures from the DOE. As of this writing, the US has 5,548 public charging stations, and at the current pace, will have about 7,400 by the end of the year.

It’s no surprise that California is the most electrified state, with a total of 1,182 public charging stations. In second and third place are two states that are shaping up as unexpected EV hotspots: Texas, with 424 chargers; and Charged’s home state of Florida, with 351.

Among retailers, Walgreens hosts 365 stations, Kohl’s has 55 and Whole Foods has 39.

While there’s a lively debate about how many public chargers will be needed, the DOE acknowledges that they have a significant role to play: “Although the majority of EV and PHEV owners will charge at single-family homes, public charging stations can increase the useful range of EVs and reduce the amount of gasoline consumed by PHEVs.”

The DOE’s web site has a host of resources for public charging fans, including an interactive map of chargers across the country and handbooks for public charger hosts and electrical contractors.