All automakers selling EVs share the common problem of providing enough charging infrastructure for EVs to expand beyond the wealthy single-family homes. A dealer may be part of the solution.
EVs make up less than 1% of the 250 million vehicles on US roads. The Edison Electric Institute, a trade group representing the power industry, predicts that there will be 26.4 million EVs in the U.S. by 2030, compared to his 259 million small cars in the country. Equivalent to 10%. The Edison Electric Institute estimates that the country will need 12.9 million charging ports by 2030, 17% public and 83% private. There are currently 140,000 public ports in the US, with the Biden White House pledging 500,000 by 2030. This is less than a quarter of the 2,193,000 public ports recommended by the Edison Electric Institute.
Software alleviates the shortage. Level 2 (low-speed) charging ports in apartment complexes, airports, parking lots, and public transportation will likely use daisy chains and software to charge multiple cars with a single port and increase driving frequency and mileage. Prioritize vehicles based on The software can also train ports to draw power from the grid when demand is lowest and renewables are most abundant.
Automakers such as Daimler, Ford, Hyundai, Stellantis, Tesla and Volkswagen will continue to invest in public charging networks that generate subscription income from members and recurring revenue from charging. Additionally, General Motors wants to partner with dealers to install his 40,000 chargers in communities. According to GM, 90% of his Americans live within 10 miles of him from his GM dealership.
Perhaps GM realizes that real estate can be leveraged by U.S. dealers to negotiate revenue-sharing for direct sales and subscriptions. If an automaker owns new vehicles and only delivers them to dealers after the sale, the empty dealer lots can become a prime location for DC fast charging.