Few would argue EV charging station installations haven’t accelerated in the U.S. in recent years. In 2009, there were just 245 new EV charging stations added across the country. But by 2019, more than 20,000 new EV charging stations were being launched, including both public and private charging locations. In this instance, private charging stations excludes private residences and instead refers to workplaces, fleet chargers, apartment complexes and other private properties.
Between 2017 and 2019 alone, there were an average of 5,000 installations of new charging stations each year, with the majority of them Level 2. By 2019, the number of charging outlets had grown to about 78,000 total at about 26,000 charging stations.
As electric vehicles become more popular, the number of public charging stations and outlets across the U.S. will continue to grow. General Motors already announced plans to go all electric by 2035 and British manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has stated it will make the switch by 2025.
While EV charging stations are expected to continue growing, there are currently about 100,000 charging outlets for plug-in electric vehicles across the country. However, nearly one-third of them—32,000 power outlets—are concentrated in one state, California.
While hitting the 100,000 mark for charging outlets is an important milestone, there were already 1 million EVs on the road by 2019. it still leaves a lot of EV owners with limited options. Outside of the lucky few who have the opportunity to charge their vehicle at their place of employment, EV owners are left with one obvious solution: installing an EV home charging station.
Here are three reasons to opt for installing an EV home charging station:
- Convenience. What is more convenient than your own garage? With so few public power stations compared to the growing number of EVs on the road today, the chance that there will be one when you need it, conveniently located and available, are fairly slim. Plugging in at a public station also ties you down somewhat.
- Cost. Public charging stations often charge a fee, which could be more costly than the electricity used at home to charge an EV overnight. The most popular public charging pricing method is a pay as you go model, but you will find some that are subscription-based or even free.
- Consistency. If you are having an EV home charging station installed, you can rely on its ability to do what you expect it to do. You know exactly what you are getting and there are much fewer concerns over malfunction, inconsistencies and other obstacles to getting your vehicle charged. With a public charging station, there is no guarantee how much electrical current is actually reaching your vehicle.
While you may feel some apprehension about EV home charging stations and their initial costs, there is a significant tradeoff when it comes to convenience and efficient charging of your new EV.
