Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Charging Stations, Grid Interconnection Issues, EV Charging Business Models, and Vehicle-to-Grid Technology: Market Analysis and Forecasts

Electric vehicles will begin shipping in small volumes starting in 2010. These vehicles will require the rollout of a new infrastructure for charging access at home, at work, and around town. By 2015, access to vehicle charging will be available at nearly one million charge points in the United States. Vehicles in the U.S. will be primarily charged at home as early adopters will prefer the convenience, while in the rest of the world, public charging will play a more central role due to reduced access to convenient home charging. The Asia Pacific region will lead global EV charging equipment sales due to strong government incentives and directives. Bi-directional smart vehicle-togrid charging will be slow to take off and will be limited to fleet applications through 2015. The additional power demand from EV charging will have little overall impact on grid reliability, but could impact the reliability of distribution equipment in neighborhoods with the highest EV concentrations. Utilities will prepare for the additional load to the grid by tracking vehicles sales and creating new consumer billing programs. Charging equipment sales will initially be driven by government funding of public stations. In the United States, fees for commercial charging will be low due to the availability of free and low-cost charging at residences and public locations. Retailers are likely therefore to install public access stations primarily as a marketing tool and not to generate direct revenue from charging fees. This Pike Research report analyzes technology and business issues related to the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in global markets. It examines the market for residential, public, private, and workplace charging stations as well as reviewing the key operational and technological impacts of plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles on the grid. Analysis includes an in-depth assessment of market drivers and barriers, along with profiles of charging infrastructure vendors and utilities. Detailed forecasts for EV charging equipment are included through 2015.