General Motors CEO Mary Barra thinks it'll take about another two decades for electric vehicles to completely replace combustion-engined vehicles. While some will continue to debate this transition's time frame, there are new facts being put on the ground (literally) that augments Barra's belief.
According to International Energy Agency data cited by Reuters, the number of EV charging points increased by 60 percent globally last year, the largest increase in the past three years. While EVs accounted for just 1 percent of global auto sales last year, this is expected to dramatically change in the coming years, hence the increase in charging stations. Having the essential infrastructure in place ahead of time is a must.
The IEA revealed that the total amount of public slow and fast chargers hit a total of 862,118 globally, but you'll be hard-pressed to see much difference in the US. That's because some 60 percent of these stations are located in the world's largest automotive market, China. The US, while still ahead of countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, France, and the UK, still falls behind Scandinavian countries such as Norway. One thing the US has plenty of is Tesla's Supercharger stations.
The Tesla Model 3 remains a hot ticket item. GM, meanwhile, is planning to launch a number of new EVs in the very near future, among them the GMC Hummer. Tesla, GM, and other automakers are completely supportive of the new EV charging station infrastructure because they don't want customers to suffer from range anxiety.
Germany, for example, announced earlier this month a $563 million plan to support the rollout of private charging stations. Here in the US, Volkswagen's Electrify America plans to invest $2 billion in EV infrastructure, access, and educational programs through 2027. This is in addition to not only Tesla's plans but also those of other mainstream automakers.
Although EV sales may be slow right now, the groundwork is already being laid to fully accommodate their charging needs long before Barra's 20-year prediction.