Planning for the Changing EV Charging Ecosystem

EV charging ports available for use by the general public make up a very small portion of the total consumer charging ecosystem, but will likely be crucial to the expansion of mainstream EVs. These public chargers can also have a large impact on the electric grid. Although most EVs will be charged at home where it is inexpensive and convenient, public charging will be critical to expanding EVs to consumers without access to home charging and allowing EVs to make trips beyond the range of a single charge.

In the white paper, Measuring and Improving EVSE Networks and Stranded Assets in VAST™, Guidehouse’s Scott Robinson, examines drivers of high and low charger utilization, assesses how OEMs, utilities, charging providers, and consumers can affect the charging ecosystem, and analyzes “stranded” electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) with perpetual low utilization. The white paper also presents a new tool to examine societal tradeoffs in EVSE buildout.

“How and how often a charger is used depends on the supply of competing ports and vehicle demand for charging at that location. What defines high or low utilization depends on the goals of the charging network,” Robinson notes in the white paper. “The most straightforward goal is to maximize revenue per charger, seeking higher utilization.”

According to the paper, the experience of light duty residential vehicles will be an important proving ground for charging business models looking to expand to fleet and heavy duty use cases.

To learn more, download the white paper.