Opportunities Abound in the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Arena

Aug. 22, 2019
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

How many miles do most Americans drive per day? According to the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative, the average American (even those living in rural areas) logs between 35 and 50 miles on the road each day. In addition, the organization reports that most newer electric vehicles (EVs) offer an average full-charge range of more than 200 miles, which is more than enough to handle that route. As the number of miles EVs can travel on a single charge continues to rise, so has the prevalence of these vehicles on the road. The end of October 2018 marked a major milestone for electric transportation — when the United States hit 

1 million EVs on the road, according to the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). A new report released late last year by EEI and the Institute for Electric Innovation (IEI), “Electric Vehicle Sales Forecast and the Charging Infrastructure Required Through 2030​,” projects that the next million EVs will be on U.S. roads in less than three years. Considering the fact that it took eight years to get the first million units on the road, replicating that number by 2021 is certainly impressive.

“The future of electric transportation is evolving rapidly, with more than 1 million EVs on our nation’s roads today,” says EEI President Tom Kuhn. “America’s electric companies are leading efforts to promote electric vehicles and are developing the charging infrastructure we need to support more than 18 million EVs in 2030. EEI’s member companies have invested more than $1 billion in customer programs and projects to deploy charging infrastructure and to accelerate electric transportation, and we fully expect that number to continue to rise.”

Some other notable highlights from the report include: 

• The stock of EVs is projected to reach 18.7 million in 2030, which amounts to about 7% of the 259 million vehicles expected to be on U.S. roads by that time.

• Annual sales of EVs are expected to exceed 3.5 million units in 2030, reaching more than 20% of annual vehicle sales in 2030. Compared to the 2017 forecast, EV sales are estimated to be 1.4 million in 2025 versus 1.2 million.

• About 9.6 million charge ports are expected to be required to support the 18.7 million EVs in 2030. This represents a significant investment in EV charging infrastructure.

All of these statistics combined suggest a significant investment in EV charging infrastructure — including opportunities in residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and public transportation — is definitely on the horizon. And who stands to profit from making this infrastructure a reality? Freelance Writer Tom Zind takes on this topic in this month’s cover story (starting on page 18), and quickly reveals that electrical designers and electrical contractors who are properly positioned to take advantage of this burgeoning market stand to reap enormous rewards. 

“EV charging stations are on track to become, much like gas stations perhaps, part of the nation’s thoroughfare landscape,” writes Zind in the special report. “And, to the benefit of designs and construction professionals, they’ll all require application-specific design, configuration, connection, installation, maintenance, and servicing. Various entities will be involved in that multi-layered effort, but the basic task of activating the charging units will fall to electrical services professionals. Some electrical contractors have been modestly cashing in for several years as EVs have become more popular. Now, they’re joined by others drawn to nascent opportunity in the space as the EV fleet expands and modernizes — and the need for a denser and more capable network of battery-charging port hubs becomes more obvious.”
 

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EC&M, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Electrical Conduit Comparison Chart

CHAMPION FIBERGLASS electrical conduit is a lightweight, durable option that provides lasting savings when compared to other materials. Compare electrical conduit types including...

Fiberglass Electrical Conduit Chemical Resistance Chart

This information is provided solely as a guide since it is impossible to anticipate all individual site conditions. For specific applications which are not covered in this guide...

Considerations for Direct Burial Conduit

Installation type plays a key role in the type of conduit selected for electrical systems in industrial construction projects. Above ground, below ground, direct buried, encased...

How to Calculate Labor Costs

Most important to accurately estimating labor costs is knowing the approximate hours required for project completion. Learn how to calculate electrical labor cost.