EV Charging Infra & Policies | Review 2022: A look at the year that was

Team ETN has compiled a brief review of the EV charging infrastructure and policy landscape across the globe from reports released this year, and recapped snapshots of news about important turn of events.

For the 2022 yearly review of the global e-mobility industry, click here.

Growing demand for EVs and increasing popularity of DC fast charging technology, has seen a rapid increase in charging infrastructure globally. Reports show that by November 2022, there were just over 2.3 million charging stations worldwide, though the number is expected to increase to ~17 million by the end of 2028.

Lack of adequate infrastructure is seen as the main hurdle in EV adoption, even in the US and UK. Most EVs today are powered at charging stations at home or office. But for e-mobility to be really successful, a widespread public charging network is of utmost importance.

In Europe, EU regulations ask for a ratio of 1 public charger per 10 EVs, and will require member countries to install charging points every 60 km on public highways. In the US, there are 46,000 public charging stations and 120,000 charging points to serve 1.3 million EVs on the road.

Though this sounds encouraging, the distribution of chargers is erratic across the country, with most located in California. The Biden government's proposed infrastructure plan calls for spending $7.5 billion on a network of 500,000 charging stations, and California is offering up to $70,000 in rebates and up to $40,000 cash per fast charger installed at new sites.

Apart from widespread installation, another challenge that daunts the EV sector is that of the need for a common standard for installation and use. Different charging systems for different brands is one of the most important factors influencing the slow-moving installation of charging stations.

Policies

Governments around the world are waking up to the need to expedite the energy transition, and are coming up with solutions to support the move. Incentives such as subsidies and tax credits are being offered to the manufacturers as well as the consumers for faster adoption of electrified mobility.

The German government has offered grants of up to €9,000 plus tax reductions for fully electric passenger vehicles, €40,000 for small to medium-sized e-trucks, and up to €500,000 for heavy-duty trucks.

The US federal government offers up to $7,500 in tax credits for qualifying plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), and California announced a $3.9 billion package that includes funds to put 1,000 zero-emission cars, 1,000 school buses and 1,000 public transit buses on the roads.

Policies announced by the European Commission require new cars to reduce average CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030, and 100 percent by 2035.