Abstract:

This white paper provides an overview of electric vehicle fast charging installed around the world and the lessons to be learned thus far. The authors review future-looking studies in the context of current deployments to interpret what the future might hold for the number of fast chargers needed going forward. Finally, they examine charging power, grid constraints, installation costs, and business models. Some of the findings are: Fast charging needs will vary from region to region and the ratio of vehicles per charger will change over time. It is clear that fast charging is an extremely flexible resource that is currently being used in a variety of roles from accessing far away destinations to a replacement for level 2 charging at home, work and other public locations. Different regions will follow different trajectories, such as the idealized possibilities in the figure below, based on the differences in access to other charging types and on driving patterns.