Transportation
Japan Is Miles Behind on Electric Vehicle Charging, Hurting Carmakers’ Goals
- Nation has fraction of chargers per capita versus US, Europe
- Government triples subsidies; lack of EV buyers also an issue
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The array of fully electric car models on display at this week’s Japan Mobility Show might suggest that the country is barreling toward a future of battery-powered vehicles, but it’s facing one big problem: a severe lack of charging infrastructure.
The 30,000 charging connectors in Japan translate to one per 4,000 users, according to data by Enechange Ltd., a Tokyo-based infrastructure provider. That compares with one for every 500 people in Europe, 600 in the US and 1,800 in China, data compiled by BloombergNEF show.