A new study from Juniper Research has found that across the globe, electric vehicle (EV) charging at home will exceed US$16 billion (£11.8 billion) in 2026.
This is a significant rise – over 360% – on the US$3.4 billion (£2.5 billion) of 2021, and is to be driven by the lower cost and convenience of home charging EVs as opposed to using what Juniper Research described as “costly and frequently inconvenient” public charging networks.
Increasing focus is being placed on the price differences between public and home charging in the UK, particularly for those without off-street parking.
Research from British Gas recently highlighted how much the costs can vary, and how these costs may be a deterrent for drivers, finding that out of drivers who do not have a driveway or off-street parking, just 7% already have an EV and less than a quarter (24%) are considering switching.
Indeed, Juniper Research highlighted how the lack of access to charge at home for urban residents is a “major issue”, but that with EVs being a high upfront cost, it is likely that current drivers will have access to off-street parking.
This is a topic Current± explored in depth last year, examining how on-street charging could help bridge the gap between early adopters of EVs and low income households.
In that feature, Connected Kerb CEO Chris Pateman-Jones said: “We’re trying to provide a similar level of convenience and reliability for those who have to park on-street as you would have if you had a driveway.”
Meanwhile, other EV charging firms such as Bonnet are aiming to provide solutions, with co-founder and CEO Patrick Reich recently telling Current± that urban drivers shouldn’t “be treated unfairly and overpay for their electricity simply because the house that they have doesn’t have a driveway”.
Additionally, Juniper Research’s new study recommends that home charging vendors and automotive manufacturers form partnerships to make home charging central to future EV transitions “given the fragmented availability and high costs of public charging networks”.
The costs of public charging have recently risen in the UK, with InstaVolt, GRIDSERVE and others raising their prices as a result of the high wholesale prices.
However, many public EV charging networks have in recent years formed roaming agreements designed to make it easier for drivers to use and pay for EV charging and reduce the fragmented nature of public charging. This includes Shell Recharge Solutions (formerly NewMotion) with Mer, Osprey, Vattenfall, ChargePoint and Char.gy.
Other interoperability solutions include the Paua app for fleets, the Zap-Pay payment interoperability service from Zap-Map and the Octopus Electric Juice network.
By 2026, Juniper Research found that 35 million households globally will charge EVs, and that over 21 million households will charge using a home wallbox, up from 2 million in 2021.
“Home wallboxes are convenient and lower cost than alternatives, with the onus being on both car manufacturers and governments to support home charging rollouts to secure the future of electric mobility,” research author Nick Maynard said.
Global hardware revenue from home charging wallboxes will reach US$5.5 billion in 2026, up from US$1.8 billion in 2021.
The average EV vehicle-owning household spend on EV charging in Europe is to be US$377 (£278), while in North America it is to be US$349, South America US$68, Africa and the Middle East US$377 and Asia US$678.
The key EV charging vendors in 2026, according to Juniper Research, will be Tesla, Chargepoint, Enel X, ABB, Siemens and EO Charging.
