Understanding the Electric Vehicle Landscape to 2020 - IEA

Global EV Outlook CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
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POLICY
metres to EVSE located in surface and structured garage
parking. GPS-backed navigation systems cannot always
pinpoint the location of EVSE in these areas. Another
consideration is whether to distinguish between slow and
fast charging on way-finding signage so drivers can more
reliably meet their particular needs.
While some policies can have a beneficial impact on EV
deployment, a lack of policies or clear regulations can
hamper widespread adoption of EVs in many countries.
EVSE SIGNAGE
Signage for charging infrastructure is an often-overlooked
area of need. Within many countries, standardised and widely
deployed signage is lacking. In Europe, moreover, there is
little consistency in signage across different countries, which
may hinder cross-border travel and cause confusion among
drivers. Providing consistent and abundant signage would
enhance the convenience of refuelling for current EV drivers
and highlight the availability of chargers for potential EV
buyers. Signage offers added value for a relatively modest
cost in that it is both functional and representational.
Uniform and effective regulatory signs are also important.
These signs may allow EV parking regardless of charging
status or restrict parking to EV charging only. Enforcement
of regulatory signs usually requires local ordinances
to be in place in order to penalise non-EVs that park in
EV-restricted spaces. Governments at the supranational,
national, and local levels can work to standardise signage,
deploy it widely, and ensure enforcement.
MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS
While the convenience of home charging is one of the most
attractive attributes of EVs, such convenience does not
easily apply to drivers living in apartment buildings or
other multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) that either lack garages
or do not have the ability to install EVSE easily. Until this
issue is addressed, demand for EVs (particularly BEVs) may
remain low in dense urban areas.
OPPORTUNITY
Local governments can extend subsidies to MUDs
or amend building codes and laws to mandate EVSE
capability in all new construction.
OPPORTUNITY
Consistent and abundant signage offers
both functional and representational value.
There are generally two types of signage: way-finding, which
directs drivers on roadways to the nearest charging station;
and regulatory signage, which can either permit or prohibit
certain vehicles in parking spaces. While many EVs now
and in the future will employ telematics or GPS navigation
systems to direct drivers to charging stations, physical
signage will nonetheless remain important. Signage is
particularly crucial for wayfinding in the last one hundred
57% percent of dwellings in Finland are MUDs, as are 45%
in Spain. 33 Nearly 50% of China’s population resides in urban
areas, often living in large MUDs as opposed to single-family
homes. In Chinese cities where high EV penetration is
expected and encouraged, like Shanghai and Shenzhen, EV
drivers are currently relying on limited workplace and public
charging. 34 In one Chinese survey, drivers revealed that they
were unable to use their cars on weekends because of a lack
of home charging and closed workplaces. 35 In an attempt to
alleviate these impediments, the city of Shenzhen is planning
to place parking centres near high-rise buildings where
owners can charge overnight. 36