EV charging locations
Generally, anywhere you can park your car is a potential charging spot. So you can imagine that the places where you can charge your car are as varied as the models of electric cars available today.
As the world shifts towards electric mobility, the need for an adequate network of charging infrastructure has never been more prevalent. As such, governments and cities around the globe are creating legislation and encouraging the deployment of charging stations, while more and more businesses are entering this new market.
The number of publicly available charging stations is constantly increasing and will continue to do so to keep pace with the rapidly growing adoption of electric vehicles around the world.
So in the future, as charging stations become more common on roads around the world, there will be charging stations everywhere, but what are the five most popular places to charge your car today?
The five most popular car charging locations
According to our Mobility Monitor report, where we interviewed thousands of EV drivers (and potential EV drivers) across Europe, these are the five most popular places to charge an electric car:
1. Charge an electric car at home
At 64 percent, home charging takes the crown of being the most popular compared to other charging locations. It’s not surprising, as home charging allows electric car drivers to wake up every day with a fully charged vehicle and ensures that they don’t pay a cent more than the electricity they actually consume versus the price of household electricity.
2. Charge an electric car at work
34 percent of current EV drivers already regularly charge their car at work, and many more have stated that they would like to do so, and who wouldn’t? I mean, driving to the office, focusing on your work during business hours, and driving back home after the day is over with a fully loaded vehicle sounds pretty convenient. As a result, more and more workplaces are starting to install EV charging stations as part of a sustainable initiative, employee engagement strategies and to satisfy their visitors and partners who drive electric vehicles.
3. Public charging stations
Every day, more public charging stations are popping up as cities and local governments are investing heavily in charging infrastructure. Today, 31 percent of electric vehicle drivers are already happy to use them, and there is a ratio of 7.5 electric cars per public charging point, which is great. But with the increase in sales of electric vehicles, the number of public charging stations in our cities will also increase.
4. EV charging at gas stations
Charging at home or at the office sounds great, but what if you’re on the road and looking for a quick top-up? Many fuel retailers and service stations have started offering fast charging services (also known as level 3 or DC charging). 29 percent of current EV drivers already charge their car there regularly. Plus, while charging in the office or at home is convenient when you’re doing other things, it can take hours before the battery recharges. However, with fast charging stations, you can charge your battery much faster (think minutes, not hours) and be back on the road in no time.
5. Retail locations with electric car chargers
26 percent of EV drivers charge their car at supermarkets, while 22 percent prefer malls or department stores — if the service is available to them. Think about the convenience: imagine watching a movie, having dinner, meeting a friend for coffee, or even doing some grocery shopping and returning to a vehicle with more charge than you left it. More and more retail locations are discovering the growing need for this service and are installing charging stations to meet the demand and get new customers.