EV Charging Station Deployments to Rise 12-Fold by 2020

The number of electric charging stations installed worldwide will jump to nearly 13 million by the end of the decade from slightly more than 1 million in 2014, market researcher IHS Inc. predicts.

Most of the installations will be AC units that are relatively inexpensive but capable of supplying a battery with only 5-15 miles of range in 30 minutes, according to IHS's EV Charging Infrastructure 2015 report.

Costlier but faster-charging DC stations, which provide about 80 miles of range in 30 minutes, are likely to be used mainly for "en route" travel and thus will be deployed primarily on the outskirts of cities and along inter-urban highways.

IHS says only about 10% of EV charging stations in 2020 will be available to the general public. Most installations will be in homes for private use.

The fastest-growing market for EV chargers is Japan, which now has more such facilities than gasoline stations, according to IHS. Japan also is home to about 2,800 DC charging facilities.

About two-thirds of the world's EVs and plug-in hybrids use Japan's CHAdeMO charging system. But IHS predicts the proportion will drop closer to 50% as EV sales in Europe and the U.S. boost use of the Combined Charge System favored by such carmakers as BMW, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen.