Public chargers have doubled since 2022 to reach more than 5 million
Access to public charging points is key to supporting mass adoption
Home charging remains the most popular way to charge for EV owners. However, more public chargers are needed to support mass adoption of EVs among segments of the population without access to home chargers.
In 2024, more than 1.3 million public charging points were added to the global stock, representing an increase of more than 30% compared to the previous year. Just the charging points added in 2024 were approximately equal to the total number of points available in 2020. About two-thirds of the growth in public chargers since 2020 has occurred in China, which now has about 65% of the charging and 60% of the electric light-duty vehicle stock globally.
In Europe, the number of public charging points grew more than 35% in 2024 compared to 2023, to reach just over 1 million. However, there are significant variations across countries due to differing rates of EV adoption and charging infrastructure development. Within the European Union, 11 out of 27 countries saw their public stock of charging points increase by more than 50% in 2024 compared to the previous year. At the end of 2024, the Netherlands had the largest national charging network in Europe, with over 180 000 public charging points, followed by Germany (160 000) and France (155 000). In Austria, 8 000 public charging points were added in 2024, most of which were supported by a subsidy that ended at the beginning of 2025.
Installation of public charging points across the European Union is expected to increase as a result of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), which mandates the installation of fast-charging stations for cars and vans of at least 150 kW every 60 km along the TEN-T core road network by 2025. Each station must offer a minimum total power output of 400 kW, increasing to 600 kW by the end of 2027. In addition, roll-out of private charging at residential and commercial buildings is covered under the revised EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive, which establishes criteria for pre-cabling to prevent the future need to retrofit parking infrastructure, which can be costly.
The United States increased its charging stock by 20% in 2024 to just under 200 000 public charging points. The National EV Infrastructure Program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed in 2021, allocated USD 5 billion to fund fast chargers along corridors, although by the end of 2024 only around USD 30 million had been spent on charging points that are now in operation. In January 2025, Executive Order 14154 paused the disbursement of these funds for a review of the processes, policies and programmes associated with grant selections, making future disbursements of the remaining unspent funds uncertain.
Policy efforts in India continue to support charging accessibility, with about 40 000 new public chargers installed in 2024. In October 2024, INR 20 billion (USD 240 million) was allocated to charging infrastructure through the PM E-DRIVE scheme, with a focus on urban centres and heavily-used transport corridors. However, the Indian government has also introduced an EV policy that caps the investment in charging infrastructure eligible for tariff relief, potentially impacting automakers' plans to invest in EV charging networks.
Brazil's charging infrastructure has expanded at speed. By early December 2024, there were over 12 000 public charging points across the country. Public charging networks have also experienced rapid expansion in other key emerging markets, reflecting strong policy support and investment in infrastructure. Public charging points have increased by 60% in Colombia and by 20% in Mexico since 2022.
Similarly, thanks to a mix of government initiatives and private sector collaboration, there are now over 24 000 chargers installed across Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam, 9 times more than in 2022.
Variation in ratio of EVs per public charger reflects differences in market maturity and population demographics
One way to think about public charging coverage is in terms of the number of public charging points compared to the stock of electric light-duty vehicles those points are meant to serve. China and the European Union have maintained a steady pace of charger deployment compared to the number of EVs on the road, though at different levels. There is now more than 1 public charger for every 10 electric cars in China. On average, the European Union has 1 charger for every 13 electric cars – a decrease of more than 10% compared to 2023.
However, demand for public charging points also differs based on driver location and behaviour. In China's densely populated cities, many drivers rely on public charging points, whereas in Europe, access to home chargers is far higher. The combined stock of the top 15 cities by public charger stock in China covers more than 50% of the national stock, compared to a share of 25% in Europe. The types of housing typically available (apartment, terrace, detached, etc.) can also play an important role in shaping the need for public charging access. For example, Germany and the United Kingdom both have a similar electric car stock share, but the United Kingdom has 60% more electric cars per public charger. In Germany, more than 60% of people live in apartments or flats; whereas in England and Wales, fewer than 25% of people do, meaning it may be easier to install private charging.
In the early stages of electrification, greater availability of public EV charging points can encourage adoption. However, as EV adoption increases, and as charging speeds become faster and battery ranges improve, the number of charger points per vehicle can decrease as the system is optimised.
Fast charging continues to expand, with ultra-fast charging having more than doubled in Europe since 2022
In addition to coverage, the capacity of public chargers can serve as an indication of sufficiency. Fast and ultra-fast public charging points can deliver more energy per day than slow chargers and thus serve a higher number of vehicles. In 2024, the global stock of fast chargers (with a power output higher than 22 kW and lower than 150 kW) reached 2 million, and ultra-fast chargers – capable of delivering 150 kW or above – growing by over 50% in 2024 and now accounting for nearly 10% of all fast chargers. Falling costs have played a role in this shift, with the price of ultra-fast chargers falling by 20% between 2022 and 2024.
China remained the largest player in fast charging deployment last year, responsible for 80% of the global growth, with the number of fast chargers surging from 1.2 million in 2023 to 1.6 million in 2024. Today, the estimated public charging capacity per electric LDV in China is over 3 kW. In comparison, the United States expanded its total fast charger stock (including ultra-fast) from 40 000 in 2023 to over 50 000 in 2024, growing at a similar rate to in China. At the end of 2024, there was less than 1.5 kW of public charging capacity available in the United States per electric LDV.
Meanwhile, the European Union expanded its network of fast chargers (excluding ultra-fast) nearly 50% from 2023 to reach 71 000 in 2024, and has an average public charging capacity of 2.6 kW per electric LDV. It also saw strong deployment of ultra-fast charging points in 2024, increasing by 60% compared to 2023 to reach over 77 000 chargers. Denmark saw its stock of ultra-fast chargers more than double in 2024, and in France, Finland and Germany the stock increased by between 70-95%. Further expansions are also being planned, for example in France, where "Charge France", a charge point operator association established in 2025, committed to investing EUR 4 billion to expand the national stock of ultra-fast charging points from over 17 000 today to 40 000 by 2028.
Of the ultra-fast chargers in the European Union, about 20% deliver a power of 350 kW and above. Today, only a few high-end electric cars are capable of charging at this speed, but charging point operators such as FastNed and Iberdrola and BP Pulse are deploying these stations in anticipation of future demand. In 2024 this higher segment of ultra-fast chargers almost doubled compared to 2023.