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More EVs on the road means more drivers looking for access to those sweet, sweet electrons.
EVs reached a potential inflection point in the US last year, surpassing 5% of all new-car sales, and now everyone from consumers and fleet owners to the federal government is trying to figure out where to charge them.
The EV charging industry came out in force at CES in Las Vegas earlier this month, with product and partnership updates that highlighted how companies are trying to capture a piece of this growing market. In particular, product announcements about at-home chargers—which are expected to make up more than 80% of all EV charging installations by 2040, according to BloombergNEF—were everywhere at CES. Here’s a rundown of a few:
- Blink Charging, which operates one of the largest public networks of Level 2 chargers in the US, showcased five of its newest chargers at CES. Along with solutions for fleets and public fast charging, the company has released its HQ 200 charger for at-home use. The advanced version of the charger includes vehicle-to-grid technology as well as load-sharing capabilities—marketed for households that have multiple EVs.
- EverCharge, which has until now mostly focused on multi-family EV charging, announced its first charger for single-family homes.
- ABB E-mobility, a Swiss-Swedish EV charging company that previously announced plans for a production facility in the US, shared a new residential charger at CES called Terra Home. This charging system will be able to “automatically prioritize using electricity from renewable sources,” according to the company.
Schneider Electric also announced a new EV charging offering earlier this month as part of a residential energy management system. Along with an EV charger, the system includes a battery, inverter, and smart electrical panel and can help homeowners monitor energy consumption from appliances, manage rooftop solar, and provide back-up power during outages.
Zoom out: Solar companies, EV makers, and charging businesses are all considering how EVs fit into entire household energy ecosystems, especially as tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act could make the investment more enticing for consumers.