China has emerged as the global leader in electric vehicle (EV) adoption while also boasting a robust lead over the rest of the world in charging infrastructure. Beijing has overseen the installation of about 2.3 million EV chargers throughout the country — approximately one for every seven Chinese EVs.
Comparatively, the European Union is in a distant second place with around half a million chargers spread across its member states, translating to one charger for every 10 vehicles. Meanwhile, the United States trails both China and the EU, currently boasting approximately 130,000 chargers, equating to one charger for every 18 cars.
Notably, China not only surpasses the competition in quantity but also in quality.
Charging ports in China deliver nearly four kilowatts per EV on average, a stark contrast to the U.S. and EU, where the average is just over one kilowatt per EV. To put it in perspective, this energy difference is akin to powering about 17 standard light bulbs versus 67.
With almost two-thirds of the world’s public EV chargers residing in China, including the largest charging station globally, the U.S. and the EU are gearing up to bridge the gap.
In the U.S., the Biden administration has plans to install half a million chargers by the end of the decade, allocating $7.5 billion for this initiative. Despite this substantial investment, experts suggest that it may only be a fraction of what is needed.
The National Renewable Energy Lab estimates that the U.S. will need to spend somewhere between $31 billion to $55 billion in order to meet anticipated domestic charging needs by 2030.
Meanwhile, a new law adopted by the EU aims to blanket Europe’s highways with EV chargers, mandating installations every 37 miles along the Trans-European Transport Network, the continent’s primary transportation corridor. The European Federation for Transport and Environment is using these initiatives in an effort to help the bloc reach its goal of 3 million chargers projected to be needed by 2030.
However, similarly to the U.S., these actions by the EU may ultimately fall short of meeting expected demand. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association has suggested a need for close to 7 million chargers by the end of the decade, requiring an investment of over $300 billion.
