When EVs were first introduced the adoption rate wasn't nearly as fast as anticipated, even in California which is now home to half of the county's registered hybrid and battery-electric vehicles. However, the EV adoption rate is accelerating significantly, according to a new report from Council Global Lead Partner the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the Institute for Electric Innovation. And as EV numbers grow there will be more demand from their owners for charging infrastructure whether it's at the office, shopping mall or along highways. With that in mind now would be a very good time for cities to connect with their stakeholders (including their local electric companies) to develop their EV policies and planning if they haven't already. — Doug Peeples
It took a lot of time for the number of EVs on American roads to reach one million. However, that number is expected to reach two million in less than three years, by early 2021, according to the report Electric Vehicle Sales Forecast and Charging Infrastructure Required Through 2030. And projecting further, the number of EVs is anticipated to reach 18 million in 2030.
"The 1 million EV milestone could not have been reached without partnerships and collaboration among all stakeholders including electric companies, automakers, environmental organizations, infrastructure providers, regulators, and policy makers. America's electric companies are leading efforts to promote electric vehicles and are developing the charging infrastructure we need to support more than 18 million EVs in 2030," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "EEI's members have invested more than $1 billion in customer programs and projects to deploy charging infrastructure and to accelerate electric transportation, and we fully expect that number to rise.
EEI is an association that represents U.S. investor-owned electric companies and has actively supported transportation electrification for some time.
A few key points from the report:
- The 18.7 million EVs expected to be on U.S. roads by 2030 are projected to be 7% of the total of about 260 million cars and lights trucks on the roads at that time.
- EVs will represent more than 20% of all vehicles sold in 2030.
- The number of charging points to meet EV needs by 2030 is expected to be about 9.6 million.
Benefits of electrified transportation
Electric transportation provides numerous advantages for cities beyond the obvious environmental benefits. They contribute to energy security, economic growth, improved energy efficiency and contribute to community clean energy goals.
