Estimating charging infrastructure demand for electric vehicles: a systematic review

Establishing robust charging infrastructure is crucial for electric vehicle (EV) adoption. This study addresses the lack of systematic literature reviews examining the global charging infrastructure research landscape with a comprehensive review of English literature published between 2017 and 2023....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maria Xylia, Erik Olsson, Biljana Macura, Björn Nykvist
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Energy Strategy Reviews
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X25001166
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Summary:Establishing robust charging infrastructure is crucial for electric vehicle (EV) adoption. This study addresses the lack of systematic literature reviews examining the global charging infrastructure research landscape with a comprehensive review of English literature published between 2017 and 2023. We screened 12237 records, and analyzed 137 peer-reviewed and 31 grey literature studies. Findings reveal a mean and median public charging demand of 135 and 23 EVs/charger respectively – that is, a much more efficient utilization of chargers than the current public charging global average (10 EVs/charger). The differences are explained by aggregation of charging strategies – fast and super-fast charging can support 5 to 10 times as many vehicles per charger – but also a wide range of assumption used across studies, apparently deviating from actual deployment. We also identify a need for more forward-looking research given evolving technologies and policy ambitions. Further research is necessary for underrepresented regions like Africa and Latin America, and different vehicle types, such as heavy and light-duty commercial vehicles. Recommendations to the research community, policymakers, and practitioners include exploring complementary metrics beyond the widely used EVs/charger and addressing ambiguous charging definitions.
ISSN:2211-467X