Electric Vehicles Adoption in US – How do we power them up

Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Light-duty internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles contribute more than half of the total emissions according to US EPA. Tighter fuel economy and emission standards barely able to curb total emission due to growing usage. Electric vehicles (EV) create fewer emissions over lifecycle. Adoption of EV’s in the US is growing but the rate is slowing down. JD Power forecasts nationwide EV sales to grow from the current 9% to 20% by 2026 rising to 70% by 2035, far short of Government expectation of 100% by 2035.
Diminishing tax credits/incentives, inadequate charging network and range, higher crashes due to driver unfamiliarity, higher repair costs per accident, partisan politics are hampering adoption. Battery technologies are improving and charging networks expanding with 23 automotive brands adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). In 2024, 3 million EVs will look forward to using Tesla’s 35,700 DC fast chargers, which not only tests public charging infrastructure but also the grid which is already struggling to accommodate the demands of data centers, AI computers. This paper will review the supply side challenges and mitigating efforts in the horizon.