Amid a backdrop of political and macroeconomic uncertainty, global electric vehicle use and related charging infrastructure continued to show steady expansion in 2024. But beneath this wider trend lie some intriguing regional and national variations, as we reveal in the latest edition of our EV Charging Index.
"The sufficiency of public charge points improved in most regions, as did the share of DC charge points, increasing user satisfaction."
For every vehicle sold in 2024, one in four was an EV (which includes battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), up from one in five in 2023. China, which remains at the top of our Index, saw its sales penetration rate rise from 36% to 49%, though many other mature markets saw little if any growth in this metric.
Most regions saw improvements in public charging sufficiency. China was one outlier here due to another massive influx of new EVs, although its sufficiency rate remains very high. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, public charging infrastructure expansion isn’t quite matching the area’s rapid growth in EV sales. Charging speeds are improving across the board, with the share of (faster) DC charge points rising in all regions. This is helping to drive user satisfaction with the overall public charging experience: around four in five survey respondents noted that public charging is becoming more convenient.
However, despite these improvements, there is still work to do, as the top user frustrations remain consistent: lengthy charge times and insufficient infrastructure.
"More than ever, EVs are serving as main cars and as a direct replacement for ICE vehicles."
What does this mean for our Index scoring? China is leading at the top our ranking, while the chasing pack is becoming increasingly tightly grouped as younger markets gain on more mature ones.
In Europe, the likes of France and the UK have closed the gap on countries such as Norway and Germany over the last two years, while Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand and Indonesia have improved their scores considerably. It’s a similar story in the Middle East and emerging markets like Brazil and India, suggesting that what these markets may lack in EV sales penetration, they make up for in improvements in charging provision, technology, and user satisfaction.
"EV users conduct around half their charging away from home, emphasizing the importance of public charging infrastructure."
As EVs become more popular, user behavior continues to evolve. Environmental protection remains the leading driver of EV adoption, but it now sits alongside the belief that EVs offer lower operating costs than ICE vehicles. With 80% of users driving 10,000 kilometers or more each year and 73% driving their EVs at least four days a week, electric cars are increasingly becoming everyday vehicles.
The vast majority of EV drivers have access to home charging, although this decreased slightly in 2024 – consistent with the gradual shift away from the archetypal early EV adopters with parking on their own private property. Access to private charging at home is much higher among EV drivers in North America than in other regions.
"EV uptake is increasingly driven by the lower operating costs and high performance of EVs rather than public policies or environmental benefits."
Despite 85% of users globally having access to private or shared home charging, EV owners report that they conduct around half their charging away from home, emphasizing the importance of public charging infrastructure. Retail locations are the most popular destinations for public charging.
Lastly, our study looks at the charge point operator market. This continues to prove a challenging environment, particularly in North America and Europe, but is showing signs of developing rapidly as the sector grows and matures.
For more information on our EV Charging Index rankings, as well as the latest developments in EV sales, e-mobility policies, charging infrastructure, and charging market dynamics, download a copy of the full report.
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