This week, Google announced that it’s map feature will now show EV Charging Stations across the world (see below for Ireland), including information and imagery about each point. Consumer demand has driven this enhancement as we have entered a dynamic phase in EV adoption.
By 2030 Ireland is due to have banned the sale of new patrol/diesel cars and suddenly this is very much on the radar as people realise that the cars they buy now may have very different outcomes when it comes to holding their value in the near future.
In Ireland, there are over 1100 charging stations across the country. Range anxiety is much less of an issue in a smaller country and SEAI grants allow new EV owners to kit out their houses for home charging at a very low rate. Commercially, high profile companies such as Lidl have committed to adding charging facilities to all new stores whilst retrofitting others.
Facebook, Musgraves, the NTMA, municipal buildings, hotels and others are rolling them out across their sites knowing that this is the time to get prepared for the sharp increase in demand. Likewise, the UK currently has around 13,000 public charging points – a five-fold increase since 2011. BP recently purchased EV Charging provider Chargemaster placing them firmly in the market.
At a global level, an EV forecast report reports that in Japan, there are now more EV Charging Points than petrol stations. China has invested very heavily in its infrastructure to meet its mammoth goal of 5 million EVs on the road by 2020. In North America the Charging Infrastructure market will be worth $18.6bn by 2030. There will be as many as 40 million charging points globally by 2030 as electric vehicles are forecast to make up about 11 percent of new sales, the report said.