EV in the US in 2025- my 2 cents

After a promising year for EV sales in the US, it is important that the country gets the right charging infrastructure, provide better uptime for the existing EV Chargers to support its current EV drivers, and of course to encourage further take up.

But with the new administration shrugging off the pro-EV policies of 2024, the question I find myself asking is who will take on this responsibility going forward, if not federal policy-makers?

Many of these policies and incentives, such as NEVI have focused on Level 3 Charging, or DC Fast Charging and one of my predictions for this year is that the will be a shift in focus to incorporate more Level 2 into the charging networks. What we have seen in Europe is that a more dispersed network of AC charging definitely has its place; charging closer to homes (without proprietary off-street parking) and businesses. This approach also has the advantage of putting less strain on the grid that is already 'creaking' in many areas.

Of course, this is my personal opinion based on observations and my experience within the industry, particularly in Europe where we are 2-3 years ahead on the EV adoption curve but it seems to me that where there is any furthering of the green, EV agenda, it is mainly being championed by individual states.?

A great example of this is a $1.4 billion investment by the state of California into EV infrastructure, which includes 17,000 new public chargers for passenger vehicles and with at least 50% of funds being dedicated in parts of the state that bear a disproportionate share of pollution, such as communities near major highways, oil refineries and landfills. When I was in Los Angeles last year its seemed that EV adoption was making significant progress, especially with Ride Hailing and Waymo but now with the tragedy of the California wildfires I suspect that some of these initiatives will need to be put on hold.

This kind of showcase can’t be expected to be replicated by every state, and of course the backbone of America’s EV charge infrastructure will likely depend on the spends and business plans of large, pre-existing corporations and car manufacturers, but it does encourage other states to follow suit and invest in the future of their citizens.?As with many initiatives and legislation in the US, California will lead and other states will follow.

Perhaps US states will also take inspiration from cities around the world? When it comes to green air initiatives, cities such as London and Stockholm show how such approaches can not only create a healthier living environment for communities but also generate finances which can then be reinvested into other green initiatives.?

And Manhattan is already following suit. The first US city to do so, its congestion charge came into effect a matter of days ago and I’m already anticipating its expansion beyond its current reach, perhaps also differentiating charges according to vehicle types, size or age. So perhaps it won’t be too long until other densely populated US cities follow suit - Boston, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco could all easily be next to follow suit.?

Of course, it is easy to make predictions, but much harder to make accurate ones, there is one thing which can be said with certainty - the number of EV cars on the road in the US currently outstrips the number of EV charge points available. There is therefore definitely a task facing a number of states, in particular the wealthier and more densely populated ones which are seeing a higher EV uptake, in making sure that EV infrastructure can keep pace with the transition to electric.?

As always, i think that future cleaner mobility will require multiple stakeholder supporting the change, with a constructive dialogue and therefore your thoughts and comments are always welcome!