Abstract:

This report quantifies the gap in charging infrastructure to power more than 3 million expected electric vehicles by 2025. Based on the expected growth across the 100 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas, the authors estimate the amount of charging of various types that will be needed to power these vehicles. This analysis provides a reference for the charging infrastructure needs for a growing electric vehicle market in the United States, including detailed estimates of the amount of each type of charging needed at a metropolitan-area level. The broader conclusion is that, despite the many uncertainties, there will be attractive opportunities for the foreseeable future to deploy charging infrastructure to power a growing electric vehicle fleet. The widespread distribution of electricity offers the potential for highly convenient charging of electric vehicles if the right ecosystem of charging outlets is matched to complex driver charging behavior. While the vast majority of electric vehicle charging is and will continue to be at home, public and workplace charging options allow drivers to take advantage of the times and places where electric vehicles are parked. This analysis leads to three high-level conclusions. (1) Much more charging infrastructure is needed to sustain the transition to electric vehicles. (2) Planned infrastructure deployment activities are promising, but uneven. (3) Increased charger utilization brings infrastructure investment opportunities.