Access to public charging points is key to supporting mass adoption

Home charging remains the most popular way to charge for EV owners. However, more public chargers are needed to support mass adoption of EVs among segments of the population without access to home chargers.

In 2024, more than 1.3 million public charging points were added to the global stock, representing an increase of more than 30% compared to the previous year. Just the charging points added in 2024 were approximately equal to the total number of points available in 2020. About two-thirds of the growth in public chargers since 2020 has occurred in China, which now has about 65% of the charging and 60% of the electric light-duty vehicle stock globally.

In Europe, the number of public charging points grew more than 35% in 2024 compared to 2023, to reach just over 1 million. However, there are significant variations across countries due to differing rates of EV adoption and charging infrastructure development. Within the European Union, 11 out of 27 countries saw their public stock of charging points increase by more than 50% in 2024 compared to the previous year. At the end of 2024, the Netherlands had the largest national charging network in Europe, with over 180 000 public charging points, followed by Germany (160 000) and France (155 000). In Austria, 8 000 public charging points were added in 2024, most of which were supported by a subsidy that ended at the beginning of 2025.

Installation of public charging points across the European Union is expected to increase as a result of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which mandates the installation of fast-charging stations for cars and vans of at least 150 kW every 60 km along the TEN-T core road network by 2025. Each station must offer a minimum total power output of 400 kW, increasing to 600 kW by the end of 2027. In addition, roll-out of private charging at residential and commercial buildings is covered under the revised EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive, which establishes criteria for pre-cabling to prevent the future need to retrofit parking infrastructure, which can be costly.

The United States increased its charging stock by 20% in 2024 to just under 200 000 public charging points. The National EV Infrastructure Program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed in 2021, allocated USD 5 billion to fund fast chargers along corridors, although by the end of 2024 only around USD 30 million had been spent on charging points that are now in operation. In January 2025, Executive Order 14154 paused the disbursement of these funds for a review of the processes, policies and programmes associated with grant selections, making future disbursements of the remaining unspent funds uncertain.

Policy efforts in India continue to support charging accessibility, with about 40 000 new public chargers installed in 2024. In October 2024, INR 20 billion (USD 240 million) was allocated to charging infrastructure through the PM E-DRIVE scheme, with a focus on urban centres and heavily-used transport corridors. However, the Indian government has also introduced an EV policy that caps the investment in charging infrastructure eligible for tariff relief, potentially impacting automakers' plans to invest in EV charging networks.

Brazil's charging infrastructure has expanded at speed. By early December 2024, there were over 12 000 public charging points across the country. Public charging networks have also experienced rapid expansion in other key emerging markets, reflecting strong policy support and investment in infrastructure. Public charging points have increased by 60% in Colombia and by 20% in Mexico since 2022.

Similarly, thanks to a mix of government initiatives and private sector collaboration, there are now over 24 000 chargers installed across Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam, 9 times more than in 2022.

Variation in ratio of EVs per public charger reflects differences in market maturity and population demographics

One way to think about public charging coverage is in terms of the number of public charging points compared to the stock of electric light-duty vehicles those points are meant to serve. China and the European Union have maintained a steady pace of charger deployment compared to the number of EVs on the road, though at different levels. There is now more than 1 public charger for every 10 electric cars in China. On average, the European Union has 1 charger for every 13 electric cars – a decrease of more than 10% compared to 2023. 

However, demand for public charging points also differs based on driver location and behaviour. In China’s densely populated cities, many drivers rely on public charging points, whereas in Europe, access to home chargers is far higher. The combined stock of the top 15 cities by public charger stock in China covers more than 50% of the national stock, compared to a share of 25% in Europe. The types of housing typically available (apartment, terrace, detached, etc.) can also play an important role in shaping the need for public charging access. For example, Germany and the United Kingdom both have a similar electric car stock share, but the United Kingdom has 60% more electric cars per public charger. In Germany, more than 60% of people live in apartments or flats; whereas in England and Wales, fewer than 25% of people do, meaning it may be easier to install private charging.

In the early stages of electrification, greater availability of public EV charging points can encourage adoption. However, as EV adoption increases, and as charging speeds become faster and battery ranges improve, the number of charger points per vehicle can decrease as the system is optimised.

Fast charging continues to expand, with ultra-fast charging having more than doubled in Europe since 2022

In addition to coverage, the capacity of public chargers can serve as an indication of sufficiency. Fast and ultra-fast public charging points can deliver more energy per day than slow chargers and thus serve a higher number of vehicles. In 2024, the global stock of fast chargers (with a power output higher than 22 kW and lower than 150 kW) reached 2 million, and ultra-fast chargers – capable of delivering 150 kW or above – growing by over 50% in 2024 and now accounting for nearly 10% of all fast chargers. Falling costs have played a role in this shift, with the price of ultra-fast chargers falling by 20% between 2022 and 2024.

China remained the largest player in fast charging deployment last year, responsible for 80% of the global growth, with the number of fast chargers surging from 1.2 million in 2023 to 1.6 million in 2024. Today, the estimated public charging capacity per electric LDV in China is over 3 kW. In comparison, the United States expanded its total fast charger stock (including ultra-fast) from 40 000 in 2023 to over 50 000 in 2024, growing at a similar rate to in China. At the end of 2024, there was less than 1.5 kW of public charging capacity available in the United States per electric LDV.

Meanwhile, the European Union expanded its network of fast chargers (excluding ultra-fast) nearly 50% from 2023 to reach 71 000 in 2024, and has an average public charging capacity of 2.6 kW per electric LDV. It also saw strong deployment of ultra-fast charging points in 2024, increasing by 60% compared to 2023 to reach over 77 000 chargers. Denmark saw its stock of ultra-fast chargers more than double in 2024, and in France, Finland and Germany the stock increased by between 70-95%. Further expansions are also being planned, for example in France, where "Charge France", a charge point operator association established in 2025, committed to investing EUR 4 billion to expand the national stock of ultra-fast charging points from over 17 000 today to 40 000 by 2028.

Of the ultra-fast chargers in the European Union, about 20% deliver a power of 350 kW and above. Today, only a few high-end electric cars are capable of charging at this speed, but charging point operators such as FastNed and Iberdrola and BP Pulse are deploying these stations in anticipation of future demand. In 2024 this higher segment of ultra-fast chargers almost doubled compared to 2023.

Ultra-fast charging infrastructure projects are also underway in Chinese cities. Beijing aims to build 1 000 ultra-fast charging stations by the end of 2025, and Chongqing to deploy 4 000 additional ultra-fast chargers by the end of 2025. These regional plans also align with XPeng and Volkswagen’s plans to roll out 20 000 ultra-fast chargers across more than 400 Chinese cities.

Elsewhere, Korea has seen rapid growth in its fast charger stock (including ultra-fast), rising from 34 000 in 2023 to 47 000 in 2024. In 2025, authorities plan to deploy 4 400 new fast chargers in high demand areas. Korea’s total budget for enhancing charging infrastructure was raised by 40% compared to 2024 to KRW 620 billion (Korean won) (USD 425 million), with 60% of the assigned budget targeting fast chargers, and the remainder dedicated to slow smart-charging installations. In India, three major government-owned oil marketing companies built nearly 8 000 fast-charging points over the course of 2023 and 2024, funded by the FAME Phase II scheme.

EV owners report that charging speed is their most important consideration when using public chargers. Safety concerns relating to EV battery technology have long been a limiting factor in reaching faster charging, but recent innovations are now reshaping the fast-charging landscape.

During charging, lithium ions are released from the cathode to the anode. If the process is too slow compared to the desired charging speed, lithium can accumulate on the anode surface, forming dendrites – needle-like structures that can pierce the battery, potentially causing short circuits and uncontrolled fires. Recently, however, some battery manufacturers have largely succeeded in addressing this through advanced anode designs, such as multi-gradient layered structures, which accelerate lithium uptake.

In 2023, CATL launched the Shenxing battery, which is able to charge about 30% of the battery in just 5 minutes, providing 200 km of additional range. This was further improved in 2024, when they released a battery offering similar energy density but faster charging speeds in collaboration with SAIC-GM – allowing to recharge over 40% of the battery capacity in 5 minutes – as well as a battery with the same charging speed (30% in 5 minutes) but increased energy density, providing 300 km of additional range in 5 minutes. For comparison, a typical Tesla supercharger can offer about 100 km of additional range during the same time.

In March 2025, BYD set a new benchmark with its Super-e platform, which is claimed to deliver around 400 km of range in 5 minutes. This leap was made possible by next-generation silicon carbide power chips, all-liquid-cooling, and a 1 000 V architecture, which allows for coupling with 1 MW charging. Just one month later, CATL announced the second generation of its Shenxing battery, offering even higher charging speeds. Megawatt charging was previously limited to heavy-duty vehicles, where the energy was distributed across battery packs roughly ten times larger than those in passenger cars. Now, advances in battery technology and charging platforms are bringing this capability to the passenger car market, with the first models already on sale in China.

The full realisation of these advantages, however, hinges on deploying ultra-high-power charging infrastructure. Megawatt chargers impose significant loads on grids, often requiring upgrades that could significantly slow down or limit deployment, and are more expensive than fast chargers, which could result in higher charging prices for consumers. Pairing these chargers with battery storage to alleviate peak demand and optimise grid usage might offer a pathway to accelerate their roll-out. In recognition of the infrastructural challenge, BYD – together with its Super-e platform – has announced plans to deploy 4 000 megawatt chargers supported by battery storage in China. This evolution would also strengthen the interdependencies between the two biggest battery markets – EV batteries and battery storage – potentially increasing the competitive advantage of producers manufacturing both, such as BYD and CATL.

For most consumers, reliable fast charger networks capable of recharging a vehicle in 15-20 minutes may be sufficient for long-distance travel. However, the ability to charge EVs in a timeframe comparable to refuelling conventional cars could further accelerate consumer adoption.

Most public chargers are slow chargers in urban areas but highway chargers account for a larger share of capacity

Individual countries and cities have taken different approaches to public charging station deployment, based on the distribution of population, availability of home charging, and road networks, although there are some commonalities. Currently, in Europe and the United States, more than two-thirds of chargers are located in urban areas. In the European Union, deployment has broadly followed housing patterns, and over 70% of the population now lives within 1 kilometre of a charging point. In the United States, which has a lower population density, less than half of the population lives within 1 kilometre of a charger.

The public charging infrastructure in cities and urban areas consists mainly of slow chargers (less than or equal to 22 kW), which was the most widely adopted technology until relatively recently. Only 15% of the urban public chargers in Europe are rated over 22 kW. This share is slightly higher in the United States, where nearly 30% of urban public chargers are fast. While deploying fast chargers can help to serve more EVs per charging point each day, limited available network capacity in city centres or urban areas can present a hurdle.

On average, in the United States and Europe, between 4% and 6% of public charging points are positioned along highways and have at least 22 kW rate power. Norway is an exception, with nearly 20% of its charger stock being fast chargers positioned next to highways, as a result of a 2016 target to install fast-charging stations at least every 50 km on major roads to support long-distance trips. When considering charging power rather than points, the share becomes even larger, with 35% of public charging capacity being located along the highway in Norway. Across all countries considered, the share of highway chargers in terms of total power is higher than by charging point stock, as highway chargers tend to be the fastest. 

Major European cities typically have more chargers per EV than surrounding areas

The different characteristics of roads, buildings and parking spaces in different cities can affect the strategy for deploying public chargers. In cities such as Amsterdam, where residential and office buildings often have less private parking, more public chargers need to be available. Public chargers in cities must also serve taxis and delivery vehicles, for which overnight charging is not sufficient, as well as other visitors to the city that may need to charge during the day. The split between overnight charging by residents and opportunity charging for other vehicles will affect the speed and distribution of public charges, as reflected by the charging capacity per EV in the stock.

European cities have different levels of electric car adoption. Scandinavian cities such as Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen have the highest share of electric cars in their fleet, with 55%, 35% and 20% of the cars being electric. As the most mature market, Oslo also has one of the highest ratios of EVs per charger (over 30) and the lowest capacity available per EV (around 1 kW). Both Copenhagen and Stockholm have less than 10 EVs per public charging point in the city – lower than their national average, which indicates that expanding coverage in cities has been prioritised ahead of rural areas around highways.

Cities in the Netherlands, Germany and France have a lower share of electric cars in the fleet; across Amsterdam, Utrecht, Paris, Berlin and Munich, between 6% and 13% of cars are electric. In terms of both coverage and capacity, the Dutch cities perform better compared to the national and urban averages. In particular, the gap between the city capacity per EV and the national average indicate that these cities have placed greater emphasis on faster chargers and installing them in a higher density compared to other areas outside the city.

European highways have more charger coverage than highways in the United States

At the end of 2024, over 75% of the European highway network had chargers at most 50 km apart, whereas only 35% of the US interstate highway system had the same level of coverage. Within Europe, coverage is varied: For example, in the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany and France, over 90% of the highway network has a charging point every 50 km, while in Spain and Poland the share is below 80%. Similarly, deployment in the United States varies across regions. In the Pacific region (e.g. California, Oregon and Washington), which has the largest share of EV stock, 70% of the highways have charging infrastructure every 50 km, but in the centre of the country that share is between 20% and 30%. 

Ultra-fast charging (150 kW and above) allows the most direct comparison with a conventional highway pit stop, where charging times of 15 minutes can provide an additional 150 km of driving range.1 For long trips on interstate or international corridors, EV drivers may prefer a longer break, meaning fast charging at rates between 22 kW and 150 kW may also be an attractive option. If fast chargers are also taken into account, the charging coverage in the European Union increases, with an additional 25% of the roads having a fast charger at least every 50 km. In the United States, the share of the interstate road network covered by a charging station also increases from nearly 30%, when considering ultra-fast charging exclusively, to nearly 40% when also including fast charging. 

Despite the high charging infrastructure coverage along European roads, the number of fast-charging stations along highways remains significantly lower than that of petrol stations. Ensuring a denser charging network would help to address range anxiety and help instil confidence in EV adoption by making charging as convenient and reassuring as conventional refuelling. This would allow for more flexibility in planning routes around charging stops and help address worst-case scenarios, such as unexpected detours, traffic delays, or extreme weather conditions.

Public charging does not always equal accessible charging

About 20% of public chargers in Europe are in fact “semi-public”, meaning that access is limited to part of the population, such as chargers provided by hotels or supermarkets that are only accessible to customers. Such chargers may also have physical barriers and more limited hours, which degrades charging access and experience.

Technical barriers can also hinder ease of use, even for fully public charging stations, as can occur with incompatible plug types (e.g. Type 2, Combined Charging System, CHAdeMO). Other factors, such as the payment system or (in the case of Tesla chargers), the brand of the vehicle, can also limit the usability of charging infrastructure, reducing overall accessibility. Standardisation, in combination with access to reliable data on the availability and pricing of charging stations, will therefore be important for making public charging infrastructure more accessible.

In general, early adopters of electric cars have tended to have higher rates of access to home charging than the broader population. Even though electric LDVs represent 15% of the global stock in 2030 in the STEPS – which could be considered as moving past the early-adopter phase – home charging is expected to remain the preferred way to charge an EV when available, given the affordability and convenience. Charging availability at other private locations, such as at workplaces, and public charging, will also support more widespread adoption of EVs, especially among populations without access to home charging, or for travelling long distances. In the STEPS, around 150 million charging points are added from 2025 to the end of 2030, with almost two-thirds of those being home chargers, 30% other private chargers, and the remaining 8% public charging points.

The build-out of public charging points in the STEPS is intended to reflect the number required to serve the stock of electric LDVs projected in the scenario. As such, the charging projections are based on the policies and market trends driving the vehicle projections as opposed to simply matching charging-related policies and regulations. The charging point projections do, however, account for regional trends, such as the historical evolution of the number of charging points per EV, the share and capacity of public fast chargers, and access to home and other private charging. Generally, as EV markets mature, optimisation of the public charging network is expected to improve, meaning that utilisation can increase with no negative effect on user experience. In line with this, in the STEPS, the number of electric LDVs per public charging point worldwide increases from about 11 in 2024 to around 14 in 2030.

The number of charging points available constitutes just one metric of coverage; the installed charging capacity is also important. Public fast chargers, with their higher charging capacity, are able to provide more energy and thus serve more EVs per day than slow chargers. Over half of the charging capacity installed to serve electric LDVs between 2025 and the end of 2030 in the STEPS takes the form of fast public chargers. That means that the public fast charging capacity increases more than tenfold by 2030, while private charging capacity increases less than fourfold. 

In China, the relatively low ratio of electric LDVs to public charging points that has been maintained over the past decade is partly because Chinese EV owners have tended to be concentrated in dense cities with limited access to home charging. In the STEPS, the ratio of electric LDVs per public charging point remains relatively low but still grows to around 11. The stock of public charging points in China grows more than threefold by 2030 in the STEPS, reaching over 12 million charging points. The share of public fast chargers continues to grow, as it has during the first half of this decade, increasing from around 45% in 2024 to over 50% in 2030. In 2024, China added about 850 000 public charging points. The average annual additions needed to reach the public charging stock projected in the STEPS in 2030 are about 75% higher than was observed in 2024, and 60% higher than the additions in 2023. For China to reach an electric LDV stock of around 140 million in 2030, as in the STEPS, maintaining a ratio of 11 EVs per public charging point would require, on average, net additions of 1.5 million charging points each year. The public charging capacity in China increases by about 900 GW to 2030 in the STEPS. To limit the stress that EV charging puts on the grid, the Chinese government has published a policy for standardising vehicle-to-grid technologies, through which EVs are expected to provide 10 GW of flexible capacity by 2030.

In Europe, the stock of public charging points doubles by 2030 in the STEPS to reach more than 2 million. The share of fast chargers continues to increase and reaches 30% in 2030 in the STEPS, up from less than 20% in 2024. As such, public charging capacity across Europe reaches 115 GW in 2030, including slow and fast chargers. The increase in the share of fast chargers, as well as the growth in their average power rating, means that while the ratio of electric LDVs per charging point increases from less than 15 in 2024 to close to 25 in 2030, the public charging capacity per vehicle increases to over 2 kW per electric LDV. This level of public charging capacity exceeds the power output targets laid out in the EU AFIR (1.3 kW per battery electric LDV and 0.8 kW per plug-in hybrid). To reach the level of public charging projected in the STEPS in 2030, Europe must add 210 000 public charging points per year on average through 2030, which is less than the 275 000 public charging points added across Europe in 2024.  

Beyond EU regulation, there are national targets for public charging infrastructure in Europe. For example, the French government aims to have 400 000 publicly accessible charging stations by 2030, about two-and-a-half times the number available at the end of 2024. The UK government has stated an aim for at least 300 000 public charging stations in 2030, about three-and-a-half times the stock in 2024. The German government has also previously set a target of 1 million public charging points by 2030, though energy industry groups have criticised this target for being more than will be needed. 

In the United States, the stock of public LDV charging points grows from almost 200 000 at the end of 2024 to over 500 000 at the end of 2030 in the STEPS. This assumes the historic trend in the increasing ratio of electric LDV stock per public charging point continues, and that in 2030 there are almost 40 electric LDVs per public charging point, up from around 32 in 2024. Although this ratio is significantly higher than the global average, recent survey findings suggest that over 85% of US EV owners have access to home charging. However, with rising EV sales, this share is expected to decrease. In addition, the majority of EV owners with home chargers still use public chargers weekly.

The share of fast chargers in the United States grows from less than 30% in 2024 to 40% in 2030 in the STEPS, meaning that the available public charging capacity per electric LDV grows to over 1.5 kW per EV. In 2024, the United States added about 35 000 public charging points across the country. To reach the more than 0.5 million projected in the STEPS in 2030, the United States would need to build out an average of 58 000 public charging points per year. At the end of 2024, fewer than 200 stations funded through the NEVI programme were in operation (representing less than 1% of the 2024 public charging additions), but over 3 500 had conditional awards or agreements in place. However, as the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI Formula Program are now under review, the future of federal funding for EV charging infrastructure is uncertain. Nevertheless, NEVI and other federally funded charging points have previously been estimated to represent less than 15% of announced non-home charging deployments.

In India, the number of public charging points increases from 75 000 at the end of 2024 to around 375 000 by the end of 2030 in the STEPS to support a stock of less than 3 million electric LDVs. As a result, in 2030 in the STEPS there are around 7 electric LDVs per public charging point, up from fewer than 4 in 2024. To reach this projected stock of public charging points, around 50 000 charging points would need to be added on average each year through 2030, about 30% more than the number of additions observed in 2024. India’s PM E-DRIVE Scheme includes INR 20 billion (Indian rupees) (USD 240 million) for public EV charging stations, with plans to support a targeted 22 100 EV chargers for electric four-wheeled vehicles through March 2026.

Across other countries, about 630 000 public charging points are added between the end of 2024 and 2030 in the STEPS, or an average of 105 000 new public charging points per year. Governments around the world have set targets for public charging points to support expansion to 2030 and beyond. Japan targets a stock of 300 000 public charging points by 2030, about 9 times the stock at the end of 2024. The government of New Zealand aims to have 10 000 charge points by 2030, a seven-fold increase from the end of 2024. Across Southeast Asia, Indonesia aims to reach 30 000 charging stations by 2030 and Thailand 12 000.