Will US EVSE Infrastructure Catch Up with the World?

While EVs are becoming more and more popular, it’s no secret America embraced the electric car after other parts of the world. Europe and China both have more in depth EV infrastructure than the U.S. But how far behind Europe are we? Not as far as we may think.

According to Green Car Reports, research firm Wood Mackenzie released findings Monday “predicting that leading markets will install 30 million new charging stations by 2030—the result of the market for public charging shifting from a policy-driven to a profitability-driven footing, the firm said.” America should catch up with Europe in construction of public vehicle chargers by 2030.

Mackenzie states it would be easier to catch up with Europe if utilities interested in getting involved with EV charging were not hampered by regulatory boundaries. Despite hold-ups, utilities, automakers, cities and EV charging providers across the country are rolling out new pilot programs and services allowing residential and commercial customers to add EVSE to their homes and businesses.

While China is expected to stay at the top of the EV game because their government regulates the industry, U.S. public policy has also helped create EV infrastructure.

30 Million

Number of charging stations leading markets will install by 2030

Electrify America

Electrify America (the organization created by VW to disperse funds required by their court settlement), continues to use “$2 billion by 2026 to build a network of fast-chargers that will charge any type of electric car… including in areas where other commercial networks might struggle to profit on installing chargers.” 

The first cycle of Electrify America expenditures included charging stations at workplaces and multifamily communities, as well as at least two coast-coast freeway routes with chargers no more than 80 miles apart. The DCFC stations along highways are meant to benefit travelers, visitors, and locals without home chargers. SemaConnect, a Blink Charging company, was one of the charging companies chosen for Level 2 workplace and multifamily chargers during Phase One of this project.

The second cycle will include charging stations installed in city centers, near apartments and condos, but perhaps most exciting—public and home chargers will be installed in low income neighborhoods and inner-city metro centers. Discounts on chargers abound and are usually higher for low income customers, but much of this information goes unnoticed by those who qualify. Putting chargers in city centers will draw immediate attention to the possibility of owning an EV.

Home chargers are predicted to continue to be the most popular kind of chargers in the U.S. By 2030, Americans will likely have over two million more chargers in homes than are installed now. That’s two million more than China and 3 million more than Europe, though those statistics likely also reflect how spread out the U.S. is and how likely home ownership is in various countries.

State Initiatives

While no one is surprised to find EV chargers in California, Oregon, New York, or Florida, in other places, they are definitely less likely to be found in great numbers elsewhere.

Recently, a group of Northeastern states banded together to change that. Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and the District of Columbia are working together to gain public and private investment to create EVSE infrastructure in the northeastern region.

In conjunction with their “Drive Change. Drive Electric” marketing campaign, the states have made public their desire for investors to help increase the number of EVs on the road. Electrify America also unveiled its first supercharger in Massachusetts, as part of their deal to invest $1.2 billion outside of California on EVSE infrastructure.

Social Changes

While shelter-in-place orders may have reduced the number of home chargers installed, the number has not been reduced as far as Wood Mackenzie believed, and they are expected to make a quick comeback.

While EVs are becoming more and more popular, it’s no secret America embraced the electric car after other parts of the world. Europe and China both have more in-depth EV infrastructure than the U.S. But how far behind Europe are we? Not as far as we may think.e rolling out new pilot programs and services allowing residential and commercial customers to add EVSE to their homes and businesses. city centers will draw immediate attention to the possibility of owning an EV.