As plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) have grown more popular, there is greater need for a comprehensive charging network so that PEVs can travel across the country as easily as gasoline vehicles do.
The question is then “How many EV charging stations are needed to create a nationwide network?”
A recent study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows that a few hundred fast-charging stations along main interstate corridors could enable PEVs to travel between U.S. cities.
Additionally, fast-charging stations inside cities and towns mean PEV travel is possible throughout most of the continental United States. The study estimates that about 8,000 fast-charging stations would be required to provide a minimum level of urban and rural coverage nationwide.
The pink areas on the map designate driving coverage enabled by providing fast-charging stations in all cities and towns in the United States.
National Charging Station Coverage Enabled by Providing Minimum Fast-Charging Station Coverage
Cities are denoted in yellow, towns are denoted by purple dots, and interstates are denoted by thick red lines. The pink areas on the map designate driving coverage enabled by providing fast-charging stations in all cities and towns in the United States.
Source: Eric Wood, Clément Rames, Matteo Muratori, Sesha Raghavan, and Marc Melaina. National Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Analysis [pdf], September 2017.
