The number of EVs on U.S. roads is projected to soar to 78.5 million by 2035, an increase from 4.5 million at the end of 2023. This represents over 26% of the nearly 300 million total vehicles expected on U.S. roads in 2035.
That is according to a report earlier this month published by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). The report also noted that EV sales are anticipated to reach 7.7 million by 2030, accounting for nearly 46% of total light-duty vehicle sales, and climbing to approximately 12.2 million by 2035, representing around 72% of annual light-duty vehicle sales.
Apart from the actual sale of electric vehicles, the infrastructure it will take to support them will need to be even more robust if trends like these continue.
Some 42.2 million charging ports will be necessary, including around 325,000 DC fast charging ports, according to EEI, which in their study also used data from Boston Consulting Group, Ernst & Young, Guidehouse, and PwC, along with research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
In the US, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included about $5 billion for developing public EV infrastructure investment. There is also investment being done by individual companies who wish to support EVs for their customers or employees.
Endeavor Plugged In held a discussion on the question of who will pay for the EV infrastructure that EV drivers will need now and in the future. The talk included Bill Wong, Senior Content Director and Editor with Electronic Design, as well as Janelle Penny, Editor and Chief of Buildings. Jeff Postelwait, Managing Editor with T&D World, moderated the discussion.
“One of the challenges is that there are multiple levels of charging infrastructure that could be out there. A level of one or two is typically found in the home,” said Bill Wong. “This is AC based and about 120 volts or 240 volts.”
Listen in on the full discussion here.
Wong went on to say that the fast-charging systems that are in demand along highways at rest stops and other high-traffic areas are level-three chargers, which are DC-based fast chargers such as the ones made by ChargePoint and Tesla Motors.
“The challenge is that they’re talking about 50 kilowatts to 350 kilowatts per station, which means that you’re putting a lot of power into these things to be put into the cars themselves,” Wong said. “And that means the connection that’s going to be driving that needs to be able to handle that capacity.”
Janelle Penny said the costs of upgrading or retrofitting facilities with what they need to charge vehicles while meeting this capacity is one of the largest barriers to widespread adoption of EVs currently.
“In terms of barriers, obviously cost is a big one. That’s especially true for existing buildings where the electrical system is already in place and now you’re trying to add onto it,” Penny said. “Echoing what bill said, another issue with existing buildings is power capacity. Can the building even support EV charging ports with the infrastructure that it currently has in place?”
Penny said other unknowns for policymakers, companies and other stakeholders are what kind of electric vehicles could be widely used and what sort of batteries might be installed in them. These factors could determine what kind of chargers they need.