The EV charging industry is stuck in a persistent “Catch-22.” Consumers are reluctant to buy EVs because of a lack of EV chargers. But there are a lack of EV charging stations, in part, because consumers have been slow to adopt electric vehicles. In 2024, there were about 61,000 publicly accessible EV charging stations. By 2030, the US will need 28 million charging ports to support the anticipated 33 million EVs on the road. How do we break this cycle? It’s simpler than you might think. The winning formula involves cross-industry collaboration, government grants, savvy real-estate plays, smart spending and more. On this week’s episode of ParkMyFleet’s Driving Mobility podcast, we’re learning all about what it takes to build — and scale — an EV charging hub that’s efficient and profitable. Angus Clark, CEO of EVOASYS Inc and EV infrastructure advisor at the Merlin Group, joins us to share how he managed to accomplish this feat and how the rest of the industry can replicate his blueprint.
In order to achieve our decarbonization goals, transitioning to EVs is a must. While the EV industry is developing at a rapid and impressive pace, it's still imperfect, far from it. Some of the biggest issues plaguing the industry are related to the supply chain — where and how crucial minerals are mined. We're seeing problems related to deforestation and displacing of indigenous communities. There are also considerable concerns about the emissions involved when building an EV, which can be anywhere from 30% to 50% higher than an ICE vehicle. Addressing these issues now, before the industry grows any further, is imperative, experts say. To put into context: In 2020, less than 600,000 EVs were manufactured. This year, we're seeing nearly 16 million. Yes, expanding this industry is key, but not at the expense of the environment and vulnerable populations. So, what can we do to clean up this industry — and quickly? That is the question we posed in this episode of Driving Mobility to Matthew Groch, Senior Director at Mighty Earth, an advocacy group that's working to protect planet by educating and encouraging industries to decarbonize.
There’s a lot of talk about electric vehicles these days, with a heavy focus on what’s not working. Range anxiety. Faulty chargers. Too few chargers — to name a few. But what’s glaringly missing from the conversation are the “enablers” — the people and the technology that are effectively addressing the biggest pain points and steadily moving us towards mass adoption. One of those enablers, who’s joining this episode of Driving Mobility, is Alex Gruzen, CEO of WiTricity. WiTricity is focusing on developing and scaling wireless EV charging technology, which allows drivers to charge up their EVs on a compatible surface without getting out of their cars. Much like how you might charge a cell phone on your nightstand. The technology is so convenient, 70% of drivers say they’d be more likely to buy an EV if wireless charging were available. But how exactly doe this technology work? What are the associated costs? And what will it take to scale it? We’re addressing those questions and much more during this episode of Driving Mobility.
Batteries are everywhere. They’re powering our cell phones, laptops, watches, and now, our electric vehicles. But while many of these products are ever-evolving, the battery space has remained somewhat stagnant. We’re still relying on the lithium-ion battery, which is dated, heavy, expensive, depends on a limited resource and poses some safety issues. Developing lower-priced and high-performing batteries to power our EVs is crucial to making EVs more affordable and accessible. Here to discuss how we can move beyond lithium, and what the future holds for EV batteries, is Donald Sadoway, Professor Emeritus at MIT, a co-founder of numerous battery companies and a “firm believer in science in service of society.”
Now that the the first set of EV buyers are starting to trade in their cars for newer models, we’re seeing a wave of used electric vehicles hit the market. But buyers understandably have a lot of questions, especially about the uncertainty around residual value of an electric vehicle. We don’t have a consistent track record to draw from. There are questions around battery life. Many times, a buyer may know more about a used EV than the dealer selling it. Here today to discuss this issue, and how to effectively address it, is Jimmy Douglas, a former Tesla executive and founder and CEO of Plug, a wholesale auction that aims to empower dealers by offering up vetted and transparent EV data.