Location data and technology company HERE Technologies, in conjunction with SBD Automotive, a global automotive research firm, published an interactive index that shows the developing state of electric vehicle (EV) demand and infrastructure readiness across the United States and Europe.

The HERE-SBD Automotive EV Index highlights, since 2020, US state-level and European country-level leaders and laggards based on various critical metrics, including the number of charging points (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), vehicle registrations, geography, and road network length.

The Index is based on the following metrics, each ranked out of a maximum score of 25 for a total score out of 100:

• How far you must drive to find a charger – number of public EV chargers per road length.

• How quickly you can charge – the average power capacity of public EV chargers.

• The number of EVs on the road versus internal combustion engine vehicles – EV fleet share.

• Likelihood of finding an unoccupied charger – the ratio of registered EVs to public chargers.

Highlights of the HERE – SBD Automotive EV Index. Every state and country has its own unique circumstances around EV adoption and charging infrastructure. In more nascent markets such as many US states, it is important to use the number of registered EVs-per-charger ratio, while in more mature markets, a “power-per-EV” ratio can be more useful.

For example, California, with its large population and geographic size, had almost a million registered EVs by 2022 and one of the most developed EV charging networks in the US with more than 46,000 chargers. However, California ranks among the bottom 10 states in terms of EVs per charger with a ratio of nearly 20:1.

Eight to twelve EVs per public charging point tends to be the ideal ratio for the average market to support seamless, convenient public charging, according to analysis from SBD Automotive. As the market matures, this ratio should increase as geographic coverage becomes less critical. This also prevents over-supply enabling charge point operators to turn a profit, sustaining its industry.

The top overall US states in the HERE – SBD Automotive EV Index: (1) Washington, D.C. (2) Connecticut (3) Vermont (4) Massachusetts (5) Maryland (6) Maine (7) New York (8) Colorado (9) Rhode Island (10) California.

The bottom overall US states in the HERE – SBD Automotive EV Index: (42) Wisconsin (43) Indiana (44) Louisiana (45) Kentucky (46) Texas (47) Nebraska (48) Tennessee (49) Idaho (50) Arkansas (51) Alaska.

The top overall European countries in the HERE – SBD Automotive EV Index: (1) Norway (2) Netherlands (3) Luxembourg (4) Germany (5) Switzerland (6) Denmark (7) Czech Republic (8) Bulgaria (9) Sweden (10) Belgium.

The bottom overall countries in the HERE – SBD Automotive EV Index: (21) Italy (22) United Kingdom (23) Hungary (24) Romania (25) Ireland (26) Poland (27) Lithuania (28) Greece (29) Malta (30) Cyprus.

Key Findings:

• With an EV market share in 2022 of just over 7%, the US as a whole should ideally have eight to nine EVs per public charger, with each state having its own ideal ratio based on several market maturity metrics.

• As the market-leading state in the US, California’s ideal ratio would be close to twelve EVs per charger. On the other hand, North Dakota, with a large land area and very small EV fleet size, would need to aim for closer to two EVs per charger.

• One of the most important goals of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program is to equip all regions to support inter-state travel and commerce. Thus, even though less densely populated states will struggle to achieve the same ratio of public chargers to EVs, major travel corridors will continue to be equipped with additional public charging infrastructure in the coming years through NEVI program funding, ideally enabling seamless electric mobility nationwide.

• Europe is a great example of how each country approaches charging infrastructure in a different way and exists at a different point in time in the maturity of its EV market. The Netherlands is one of the most mature EV markets in Europe, having more than a decade of strong government support. This led to a proliferation of AC charging since DC charging had not yet been standardized. Meanwhile, Malta has very few DC chargers because, as a small island country, charging would rarely be necessary.

• Europe is a great example of how each country approaches charging infrastructure in a different way and exists at a different point in time in the maturity of its EV market. The Netherlands is one of the most mature EV markets in Europe, having more than a decade of strong government support. This led to a proliferation of AC charging since DC charging had not yet been standardized. Meanwhile, Malta has very few DC chargers because, as a small island country, charging would rarely be necessary.

Methodology. The Index compares all federal states of the US (including Washington DC) and the EU-27, plus Norway, Switzerland and the UK. All EV charging location data was pulled from the HERE EV Charge Points API for 1 December of 2020, 2021 and 2022. Government sources include AFDC, the US Census Bureau, Eurostat, EAFO, The CIA World Factbook, the ONS, and the FHWA. Only battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are included in the index.

HERE EV Charge Points collects data from public charging points. These include free, paid, and access-restricted charging stations (for example, public, yet commercial ones found on retail parking lots). Private charge stations, such as those in residential buildings, are excluded.

Levels of information in HERE EV Charge Points include charging locations, EVSEs (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) and connectors. Included in the API response can be addresses, hours of operation, charge station details, payment methods and availability information. Information about voltage, amps, charge modes and connector types are also supported.