McKinsey’s new report, the European EV Charging Infrastructure Masterplan, highlights the growing need for public infrastructure to support the demand for electric vehicles (EVs).
The report outlines that the estimated target of 6.8 million public charging points across the European Union (EU) by 2030 is far beyond reach right now. There are currently just 225,000 public chargers located in the EU, one in nine (25,000) of which are fast chargers.
Despite current sales of electric vehicles skyrocketing, the lack of publicly available charger infrastructure will soon start to present a serious roadblock in the continued innovation of electric vehicles and sustainable technology, and there are already a number of issues facing EV growth.
It’s clear more needs to be done in the way of installing new charge points but we’re quickly running out of time. In figuring out how we’re going to get there, we need to think outside the box.
Electric vehicle drivers living in inner cities often lack driveways and therefore a simple way to charge their vehicles overnight. Those living in the rural countryside or travelling long distances might not know where the nearest charge point is, and even then, there’s a strong possibility it could be in use already.
The report explains there are two main solutions to this problem. The first is to get more private businesses on board. There is plenty of unused land across the EU and UK to be able to provide more charge points to staff and the general public who could charge cars while they work, nip to the shops or see a movie.
The second is to get smarter with the infrastructure we have right now. A lack of visibility into where charge points are located and whether they’re currently in use. Plus, the price of charging at these chargers is becoming the biggest reason why people are put off purchasing electric vehicles in the first place.
Even offering something as simple as being able to reserve a spot at a local charge point or some sort of virtual queueing system could be enough to ease the pain for drivers, convince more drivers to invest in electric vehicles and make offering charge points a more attractive option for businesses.
