Study Projects 4.7 Million Electric Vehicle Charging Stations by 2015

As increasing numbers of electric vehicles enter the global market over the next few years, more than 4.7 million charging stations will be accessible worldwide by 2015, with nearly 1 million of the those expected in the U.S., according to a new study. Of the 974,000 charging stations predicted in the U.S., about 64 percent will be charging units in residences, according to Pike Research. Across Asia and Europe, where multi-family housing is more common, only about 35 percent of charging stations will be residential, with a greater percentage of consumers relying on public or commercial stations to charge their vehicles, according to the study. In addition, North America will see a higher percentage of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which require less charging infrastructure because they have smaller battery packs and gasoline engines that allow vehicles greater range.