The situation regarding charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in much of North America remains worrying. In the U.S., Only the District of Columbia, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island achieve the optimal ratio of charging stations to the number of electric vehicles and for the population and its density, according to a recent report published by Here Technologies and SBD Automotive.
While electric vehicle adoption is growing across the United States, 47 states have yet to achieve the optimal ratio.
An elusive ratio for most states
The ideal number of public charging stations varies from state to state, depending on road networks, population density and electric vehicle adoption rates. However, the national target is clear: an optimal ratio of 9 to 10 electric vehicles per charging station. Currently, only four territories are achieving this. This imbalance could worsen as the electric vehicle market matures, requiring more robust charging infrastructure and long-term planning.
Charging infrastructure lagging behind in the U.S.
According to Robert Fisher, electrification expert at SBD Automotive, the U.S. electric vehicle market lags behind Europe. This is due to varying population densities across the country, particularly within rural states like Wyoming and South Dakota, where demand for charging stations may be lower, but essential nonetheless. On the other hand, the U.S. could end up with more private charging stations, relieving pressure on the public network.
Synchronizing the supply of EVs and charging stations
The electric vehicle industry faces a dilemma: should more charging stations be installed first, or should more EVs be sold? A lack of charging infrastructure can slow down sales of electric vehicles, while an overabundance of charging stations in areas where EV adoption is low can lead to losses for the owners of those stations.
State disparities: who's making progress and who's stagnating?
A ranking of states according to their EV-to-terminal ratio reveals that Delaware, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts and Nevada rank highest. By contrast, states such as Idaho, Arkansas and Alaska are at the bottom of the table.
Expansion in the number of terminals grew by 33 percent year-on-year, driven by public and private investment. California added more than 6,000 bollards in a single year.
Federal programs: crucial support, but slow to materialize
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, launched two years ago, allocates $5 billion USD to develop a charging network across the U.S. However, implementation remains slow, with only 33 charging stations open in six states to date. Much of that is down to the complexity of state-to-state coordination and the process of regulatory approvals.
Reliability and recharging speed: persistent challenges
Another major obstacle is the reliability of existing charging stations. In states such as Hawaii and Alaska, more than 10 percent of public charging stations were out of service at the time the report was compiled. The slow charging capacity of stations in some regions, notably Michigan, also continues to be a problem, affecting the progress of those states' rankings.
While demand for EVs continues to grow, charging infrastructure needs to keep pace. While government support is there, challenges remain in terms of reliability, geographical distribution and speed of deployment. In the long term, the balance between supply and demand for charging stations will be a determining factor in the success of the energy transition.
| .. | State/Territory | Optimal Ratio | Current Ratio | Difference |
| District of Columbia | 6.4 | 11.1 | +4.7 | |
| Vermont | 6.8 | 8.1 | +1.3 | |
| Massachusetts | 8.4 | 8.7 | +0.3 | |
| Rhode Island | 6.5 | 6.6 | +0.1 | |
| Connecticut | 8.2 | 8.0 | -0.2 | |
| Maine | 6.0 | 5.7 | -0.3 | |
| Wyoming | 4.0 | 3.3 | -0.7 | |
| New York | 9.2 | 7.3 | -1.9 | |
| Kansas | 8.1 | 6.1 | -2.0 | |
| Missouri | 8.1 | 6.0 | -2.1 | |
| North Dakota | 4.1 | 1.8 | -2.3 | |
| South Dakota | 5.6 | 3.0 | -2.6 | |
| West Virginia | 5.8 | 2.6 | -3.2 | |
| Maryland | 12.3 | 9.0 | -3.3 | |
| Delaware | 11.4 | 8.0 | -3.4 | |
| Arkansas | 7.6 | 3.8 | -3.8 | |
| Colorado | 13.8 | 9.9 | -3.9 | |
| Iowa | 8.8 | 4.7 | -4.1 | |
| Utah | 13.1 | 8.5 | -4.6 | |
| Nebraska | 9.5 | 4.9 | -4.6 | |
| Mississippi | 7.3 | 2.4 | -4.9 | |
| Montana | 10.1 | 4.8 | -5.3 | |
| North Carolina | 13.1 | 7.6 | -5.5 | |
| Tennessee | 12.2 | 6.5 | -5.7 | |
| Ohio | 11.1 | 5.4 | -5.7 | |
| New Mexico | 11.9 | 6.2 | -5.7 | |
| Alabama | 10.0 | 4.1 | -5.9 | |
| Minnesota | 13.0 | 7.1 | -5.9 | |
| Georgia | 13.8 | 7.8 | -6.0 | |
| South Carolina | 11.4 | 5.4 | -6.0 | |
| Louisiana | 9.6 | 3.3 | -6.3 | |
| Pennsylvania | 12.9 | 6.5 | -6.4 | |
| Michigan | 11.9 | 5.4 | -6.5 | |
| Oregon | 16.9 | 10.3 | -6.6 | |
| Indiana | 12.5 | 5.7 | -6.8 | |
| New Hampshire | 13.0 | 5.8 | -7.2 | |
| Kentucky | 12.4 | 4.9 | -7.5 | |
| Virginia | 16.4 | 8.9 | -7.5 | |
| Nevada | 17.7 | 10.0 | -7.7 | |
| Wisconsin | 13.6 | 5.6 | -8.0 | |
| Idaho | 15.5 | 5.9 | -9.6 | |
| California | 22.7 | 12.7 | -10.0 | |
| Washington | 21.6 | 11.3 | -10.3 | |
| Texas | 19.5 | 7.4 | -12.1 | |
| Arizona | 21.5 | 9.0 | -12.5 | |
| Florida | 20.6 | 7.8 | -12.8 | |
| Illinois | 23.1 | 7.9 | -15.2 | |
| Alaska | 21.2 | 5.7 | -15.5 | |
| Oklahoma | 19.7 | 3.7 | -16.0 | |
| Hawaii | 26.6 | 9.3 | -17.3 | |
| New Jersey | 28.6 | 9.8 | -18.8 |
Source: Here Technologies and SBD Automotive