- There is strong growth in electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and the scales are tipped strongly toward Level 2 AC installations due to costs and compatibility.
- The electric vehicle user experience is not to drive to fuel, but to fuel where you park, and consumers are unfamiliar with this fact.
- Today’s biggest challenge to the buildout of a complete EV charging infrastructure is coordination of stakeholders.
Executive summary
Historically, the development of the electric vehicle has been distilled down to the age-old “chicken or egg” paradox. Will the sale of EVs (electric vehicles) drive the development of eMobility infrastructure, or will the network of charging stations drive EVs volumes? The early adopters have already adopted, and now the automotive industry is investing billions to scale EVs into mass market pricing, appeal, product requirements and usability.
When peering into the challenges of the charging infrastructure, the issues were formerly technical in nature. Does the grid (macro and micro) have the power necessary to support charging stations? Is the connector compatible with the various types of EVs on the road? How reliable are the charging stations? How do I manage and optimize the network of stations on the backend?
These challenges have – for the most part – been met with improvements in both hardware and software. Yet, the industry still has issues with scaling EV sales to the mass market.
This shift in the overall sales of electrified vehicles, as well as the segment shift toward full BEVs in these major global markets illustrates the progress the industry has made on improving both “the chicken” and “the egg.”
However, the truth is the industry still must overcome some serious consumer barriers to adoption. According to IHS Markit consumer research in 2021, two of the top five reasons why people chose not to buy an EV again are charging-related issues. This includes anything from charging times to station availability and range. These barriers remain, even while experts know the current public infrastructure has more than enough capacity to keep these vehicles charged and that range anxiety is overblown as most commuters do not come close to tapping out their battery range.
Beyond the consumer barriers, the eMobility infrastructure build out has more regulatory and utility-oriented challenges than one would imagine. So much is tied up in outdated frameworks and policy, that deployment can be slow, regardless of the demand presented. This can vary quite widely across regions. Ultimately, the eMobility infrastructure challenges are global in nature, but local in execution, presenting a fragmented approach for any one company or association to help drive expansion.
What's in the report:
- Infrastructure and EV adoption
- EVSE types, locations and advantages
- Consumer perspectives
- Special insert - Plug-in sales insights and TCO
- Federal and state-level investments
- Regulatory challenges and incentives
- Impact to the grid
- Industry perspectives
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