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More than 11 Million EV Charging Stations Will be Installed Worldwide by 2020

October 10, 2012 by Jeff Shepard

The past year has seen a major uptick in deployments of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). This acceleration is a direct result of developments in the market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs): More than 135,000 PEVs will be sold globally in 2012, and growth is expected to continue at a steady pace. According to a new report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant's Energy Practice, the EVSE market will expand steadily, as well. Unit sales of EVSE will rise from under 200,000 in 2012 to almost 2.4 million in 2020. By 2020, the study concludes, 11.4 million EV charging stations will be in operation worldwide.

"Public charging stations have been heavily dependent on government funding," says senior research analyst Lisa Jerram. "The industry is now trying to devise successful business models for deploying stations in public locations--an effort that will become increasingly urgent as government funding winds down."

A key factor in the split between residential and commercial EVSE sales, Jerram adds, is the percentage of PEV owners who have access to home charging. The report forecasts that the market for commercial charging equipment will grow at a faster rate than that for residential charging equipment. According to the report, 2013 will be a critical year since the PEV market will be transitioning from early adopters in regions such as North America, where consumers are more likely to have a secured parking spot in which to install a charger, to a broader base of consumers living in multi-family dwellings, leading to greater growth in the sales of commercial EVSE than in residential units.

The report, "Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment", examines the state of the global EVSE market today, and provides forecasts through 2020. Including market analysis and forecasts for residential, workplace, public, and private EVSE, the report covers the development of fast charging over the past year and forecasts direct-current charging sales. It also forecasts the growth of wireless charging equipment, set to become commercially available in the 2013-2015 timeframe. EVSE forecasts cover the major regions of the world and include breakouts for key adopter countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, Korea, and Israel. The report also includes profiles of more than 40 industry players, including EVSE manufacturers and service providers, their suppliers, vehicle OEMs, and utilities. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Pike Research website.