Why the EV Charging Gap Is Growing Faster Than Expected

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The United States is in the middle of a historic shift toward electric vehicles. Sales records fall every quarter. Automakers are phasing out combustion engines. Federal incentives are driving consumer demand to new highs. Yet quietly, invisibly, a critical problem is compounding: the infrastructure to support these vehicles is not keeping pace, not even close.

This is the EV charging gap: the growing disparity between the number of electric vehicles on the road and the number of charging stations available to serve them.

For multifamily property owners, commercial real estate operators, and business owners, understanding why this gap exists, and why it keeps widening, is no longer optional. It is the first step toward making a property decision that will define tenant satisfaction, asset value, and competitive positioning for the next decade.

This article is the first in our series: The EV Charging Gap: Why Multifamily and Commercial Properties Need EV Charging Infrastructure Now. Here, we examine the structural forces driving the gap and what the data tells us about where it is headed.

Several reinforcing forces are widening the gap simultaneously. Understanding them individually, and how they interact, explains why projections from as recently as 2022 have already been overtaken by reality.

a. EV Adoption Is Accelerating Beyond Projections

EV sales in the U.S. grew 49% year-over-year in 2023 and continued strong momentum through 2024. Multiple legacy automakers have announced model line electrification plans, while Tesla, Rivian, and new entrants continue expanding volume. The Inflation Reduction Act's consumer tax credits ($7,500 for new EVs) meaningfully accelerated household purchase decisions. The upshot: more EVs are arriving on roads faster than even optimistic 2020-era models anticipated.

b. Charging Infrastructure Permitting Is Slow and Complex

Installing a Level 2 charger at a single-family home is relatively straightforward. Installing a bank of DC Fast Chargers at a commercial property is not. Permitting timelines across major metro areas average 6–18 months. Utility interconnection queues have grown dramatically as grid demand increases. Supply chain constraints on electrical equipment have eased somewhat but remain a factor. The result: infrastructure deployment lags demand by design.

c. Private Real Estate Has Been Left Out of the Public Charging Equation

The $7.5 billion NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program, funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is specifically designed to build out public highway corridor charging. It does not address apartment buildings. It does not address office parks. It does not address mixed-use commercial properties. Private multifamily and commercial real estate, where a significant share of EV drivers park their vehicles for 8–12 hours per day, remains almost entirely dependent on voluntary property owner action.

d. The "Last Mile" Charging Problem Is Concentrated in Multifamily

Roughly 30% of U.S. households live in multifamily housing. A growing share of these residents own or are considering purchasing EVs, yet their buildings offer no charging whatsoever. These residents are forced into one of two unacceptable positions: rely on public charging networks for all charging needs (inconvenient and expensive) or forgo EV ownership entirely. This dynamic is measurably suppressing EV adoption in multifamily-heavy markets and simultaneously creating enormous pent-up demand for properties that do offer charging.

Forward-looking data paints an unmistakable picture for commercial and multifamily real estate:

Here is the critical insight that separates properties acting in 2025 from those that will scramble in 2027: right now, EV charging is still a differentiator. Within 3–5 years, it will be a baseline expectation, and properties without it will face negative positioning, not just a missed opportunity.

The analogy is fiber-optic internet access in the early 2000s, or in-unit washer/dryer hookups in the 1990s. Early adopters commanded premiums. Late adopters faced costly retrofits and tenant dissatisfaction. The timeline is compressing as EV adoption accelerates.

Properties that install EV infrastructure today benefit from:

• Federal and state tax incentives currently available (including the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit,up to 30% of installation costs)
• Lower installation costs before electrical upgrade backlogs worsen
• First-mover positioning in local rental and commercial markets
• Avoiding the higher cost and complexity of retrofit installation at scale

The EV charging gap is not a problem that will be solved by public infrastructure alone. Federal NEVI funding will build a better highway charging network. It will not wire your parking garage. The responsibility, and the opportunity, for multifamily and commercial real estate lies squarely with property owners and operators.

The most important immediate steps are:

• Conduct a charging readiness assessment: Evaluate your property's existing electrical capacity, parking layout, and proximity to panel infrastructure.
• Understand local incentive stacking: Federal credits, state rebates, and utility programs can offset 30–70% of installation costs in many markets.
• Evaluate managed charging programs: Smart charging solutions enable load balancing, revenue generation (charging fees), and utility demand charge management.
• Plan for scalability: Installing conduit and panel capacity now,even before deploying chargers, dramatically reduces future costs.

Q: What is the EV charging gap?

The EV charging gap refers to the growing disparity between the number of electric vehicles on the road and the number of charging stations available to serve them. As EV adoption accelerates faster than infrastructure deployment, particularly in residential and commercial properties, the gap widens, leaving many EV drivers without convenient access to charging.

Q: Why is there a shortage of EV charging stations?

The shortage stems from several compounding factors: EV adoption is outpacing infrastructure investment, permitting and utility interconnection timelines are long (often 6–18 months for commercial installations), federal infrastructure funding focuses primarily on highway corridors rather than residential or commercial parking, and most private property owners have not yet invested in on-site charging.

Q: How many EV chargers does the U.S. need by 2030?

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that approximately 1.2 million public EV chargers will be needed by 2030 to support projected EV demand. As of 2025, the country has roughly 40,000 public charging locations, meaning the deployment rate needs to increase approximately 10× to meet this target.

Q: Do apartments need to provide EV charging?

An increasing number of states and municipalities are introducing requirements for multifamily properties to provide EV charging or EV-ready electrical infrastructure. As of 2025, over 35 states have some form of EV charging mandate, incentive, or building code requirement related to multi-unit dwellings. Beyond regulations, tenant demand is making EV charging a competitive necessity for property owners even where it is not yet legally required.

Q: Is EV charging a good investment for commercial properties?

Yes, in most cases. Properties with EV charging infrastructure report rental premiums of 3–8% in key markets (CBRE, 2024), improved tenant satisfaction and retention, and eligibility for federal and state tax incentives that can offset 30–70% of installation costs. The investment case strengthens as EV adoption grows and EV charging becomes a baseline tenant expectation.

Q: What is NEVI funding and does it help apartment buildings?

NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) is a $7.5 billion federal program funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, designed to build out public EV charging along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, primarily highways. NEVI funding is not available for private residential or commercial property installations. Property owners seeking to install EV charging must rely on separate federal tax credits (e.g., the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit), state rebate programs, and utility incentives.

The EV charging gap is real, measurable, and widening. It is driven by structural forces, rapid EV adoption, slow permitting, highway-centric federal funding, and private real estate inaction, that will not resolve themselves quickly.

For multifamily and commercial property owners, the gap represents both a risk and a window. Those who move now capture first-mover advantages, available incentives, and growing tenant demand. Those who wait will face a more congested installation environment, higher retrofit costs, and tenants who choose competitors.

The next article in this series examines how to choose the right EV charging solution for your specific property type, from Level 2 managed charging for multifamily communities to DC Fast Charging for commercial and mixed-use assets.