Global Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (Outlook to 2031)

The wave of electrification has entered the commercial vehicle (CV) segment, which tends to increase globally. Increasing public transport patronage, stringent vehicular emission norms, and promotion of electric mobility by the governments to make mainstream public transportation sustainable are major factors anticipated to drive the global electric bus charging infrastructure market. 

Bus transport is one of the oldest and most common modes of transportation constitutes a significant part of the public commute. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report 5, the transport sector accounted for 14% of the global GHG emissions and has gained the focus of legislation to reduce the carbon emissions from the sector. The need for a sustainable fleet of buses is an indispensable part of the daily commute to address climate change.

Electric bus adoption in public transport urban fleet is growing globally. Setting up an adequate and efficient electric bus charging infrastructure is a prerequisite to establishing the ecosystem of electric buses as part of public transportation.

Though Germany introduced the first electric bus, China is the first country to introduce modern electric buses in large quantities, followed by Europe and North America. The transition to electric buses has created an upsurge in charging infrastructure demand. 

Over the years (2015-2020), China established 3850 charging stations for e-Buses to support public transportation electrification. Previously, an electric bus charging station was simply located in the bus depot, which was a common practice and the most convenient arrangement considering the small number of e-Buses. However, with the advent of all e-Bus city initiative (conversion of entire fleet of city buses to e-Buses), the electric Bus charging stations are expected to expand beyond the bus depots in China.

North America is expected to be the fastest-growing Electric Bus market. According to American Public Transport Association (APTA), the share of electric buses in public transportation has soared from 7% in 2010 to 18.8% in 2020. Transit buses continue to add amenities and technology, on account of which the electric outlets for charging buses increased from 2% in 2010 to 11% in 2020. 

Restraints to Electric Bus charging infrastructure Market Growth

• Large capital expenses for grid infrastructure
• Lack of standards and regulations on charging infrastructure
• Increasing clean energy credit claims by customers
• Grid instability

These are major anticipated hurdles in the development of charging infrastructure. However, with a better understanding of current inefficiencies, the charging infrastructure developers and operators are adopting new methods to overcome these issues.

DC fast charging technology will be a widely adopted technology for electric buses in the future. The charging technology with a capacity of more than 350 kW (ultra-fast charger) has been developed. Though high-capacity chargers are anticipated to be in place, both slow and fast chargers will co-exist as the global electric bus market expands. Besides using plugs to charge the buses overnight at the depot, inductive charging (a type of wireless charging) can also be used, which is being developed and seen as a promising technology for electric bus charging solutions.

Opportunities

• The US bipartisan infrastructure bill will provide USD 7.5 billion for building a nationwide network of plug-in EV chargers (including electric bus charging stations).
• EU Fit for 55 package is expected to increase the pace of transition to electric buses in Europe.

Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure Market Trends 

• Increasing preference towards depot charging over opportunity charging
• The rising demand for ultra-fast charging stations
• Charge point made its second acquisition by purchasing European electric fleet management company ViriCity for USD 88 million.

Blackridge Research's Global Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure Market report provides insights into the current global and regional market demand scenario and its outlook.

The study offers a detailed analysis of various factors instrumental in affecting the Electric Bus Charging infrastructure market's growth. The study also comprehensively analyses the electric bus charging infrastructure market by segmenting it based on geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Rest of the World) and by Type of charging (On Board charging and Off Board charging).

The report also addresses present and future market opportunities, market trends, developments, and the impact of geopolitics on the electric bus charging infrastructure market, important commercial developments, trends, regions, and segments poised for the fastest-growth, competitive landscape.

Further, electric bus charging infrastructure market size, demand forecast, growth rates, and trade (imports and exports) will also be provided in the report.