Estimating charging infrastructure demand for electric vehicles: a systematic review

Abstract

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.