The US Has Just 22 EV Charging Points Per 1,000 Road Miles

Authored by Charles Kennedy via OilPrice.com,

• A new study shows that the United States has just 22 EV charging ports per 1,000 miles of road, far fewer than its 104 gas pumps.

• The new study highlights the disparity between states, with Massachusetts having the best density of EV charging stations.

• Analysts project that more than a million new public EV charging stations will be required in the U.S. by 2030.

There are about 104 gas pumps per 1,000 road miles on average in the United States compared to just 22 EV charging ports for the same road distance, a new study by smart fuel card management platform Coast showed on Monday.  

As EV sales rise and the Biden Administration is pushing for transport electrification to reduce emissions from one of the most-polluting sectors in the U.S., the number of EV charging points is not enough now and the density of charging stations in some states is much lower than in others, according to the study. The team at Coast used data from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation to explore the state of EV charging infrastructure in the U.S.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington are the U.S. states with more EV charging opportunities than gas stations, the study found. 

Massachusetts is top of the list.

In this state, there are 31.4 EV charging stations on average per 100 square miles and only 18.4 gas stations per 100 square miles. Rhode Island and California follow closely behind, as both states provide residents with extensive charging networks to reinforce their commitments to cleaner transportation alternatives.

“While EV adoption continues to surge, ensuring convenient and accessible charging options is crucial for further growth and widespread acceptance of electric vehicles. The transition to electric transportation requires a concerted effort to build a robust charging infrastructure,” the authors of the study wrote.

Early this year, the Biden Administration announced actions to significantly expand the U.S. EV charger network to support its EV sales goals and back the Made-in-America manufacturing of components for charging stations.  The set of actions is expected to help the Administration’s EV sales goals by building a national network of 500,000 EV chargers along America’s highways and in communities and have EVs make up at least 50% of new car sales by 2030.  

Analysts project that more than a million new public EV charging stations will be required in the U.S. by 2030 to accommodate the demand for electric vehicles.