A look back

5 years, 5 predictions

5 predictions, 5 years later

Charging Forward 2022 marks the fifth anniversary of our first Charging Forward report. In that report, we made five predictions about what e-mobility would look like in five years. It’s been five years; how did we do?

ChargePoint 2017 prediction 1:
“Electrification becomes truly global.”

According to BloombergNEF (BNEF), global passenger EV sales more than doubled from 2020 to 2021. Specifically in Europe and North America, sales of vehicles with a plug grew by 70% year-over-year (YoY). The market growth resulted in every one in ten vehicles sold last year being an EV.
28% of all passenger vehicles sold in Europe in Q4 of 2021 were electric. That number was 6.8% in North America, with both regions seeing the highest quarter to date for EV penetration.¹

¹“1Q 2022 Electrified Transport Market Outlook,” BNEF, March 2022

ChargePoint 2017 prediction 2:
“An expanding fueling network and more car models will make electric driving ubiquitous.”

Over the past five years, the ChargePoint® network has grown by more than 300%.²

The number of electric vehicle models available to consumers increased by more than 40% from 2019 to 2020.

² ChargePoint network, March 2022

ChargePoint 2017 prediction 3:
“Automakers toss the status quo.”

Combined, every major automaker has committed billions of dollars toward electrification.

Several brands, including General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have committed to become fully electric between 2022 and 2040.

Automakers are transitioning from the traditional in-person dealership model to a more digital experience by selling vehicles through e-commerce channels. In fact, 25% of auto sales are expected to take place through online channels by 2025.

ChargePoint 2017 prediction 4:
“Urban mobility becomes more connected and efficient to meet the increasing demands of population growth.”

Today, there are more than 8,500 electric buses on roads across Europe and North America. BNEF predicts 16% of new bus sales across the two regions will be electric by 2025, driven by an EU rule specifying that 25% of newly-purchased buses be zero-emission by 2025 and a similar California mandate requiring all new bus purchases be zero-emission by 2030.

The Europe Commission developed and implemented a sustainable transportation framework to reduce transportation congestion and pollution.

ChargePoint 2017 prediction 5:
“Fleets will disrupt the entire transportation ecosystem — from commuter vehicles to bus depots and beyond.”

Sessions delivered on the ChargePoint network to electric fleets, including service, work and delivery, have increased by more than 200% over the past five years.

The world’s largest delivery fleets, including Amazon, DHL, FedEx and UPS, have all made major investments in fleet electrification, while cities around the world have committed to 100% zero-emission bus fleets in the coming years.

Were we clairvoyant? No, we’re simply good at math and patient. In fact, now as then, the numbers are on our side, so we’re confident enough to make another five predictions at the end of this report. Stay tuned.