Designing the infrastructure to electrify our transportation industry
March 23, 2025
The transportation sector is responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Here’s how we can change that.
The transportation industry is responsible for approximately 25% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This makes it a natural target for our decarbonization efforts. Simply put, if we hope to reach our net zero goals and drive the energy transition forward, the transportation industry will need to play a big role.
The transition away from carbon combustibles—and gas or diesel engines—has been underway for some time now. To date, this has largely been led by the switch to electric vehicles (EVs), either battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The problem? Adoption has been less than ideal. Right now, only about 1% vehicles in the United States (US) are fully electric. That statistic is pretty similar in Canada and the United Kingdom.
So, what’s holding back the transition to EVs? Cost is certainly a factor, even though the price of EVs has been coming down in recent years. Vehicle diversity and capabilities is another issue. But getting people to purchase EVs is only half the battle. We must also design, build, and maintain the energy infrastructure necessary to perpetuate the change. This means upgrading and expanding the electrical grid. It also means supplying the grid with more energy—preferably renewable energy from sources like wind, solar, or hydropower.
But there are a lot of questions that need answering as we try to drive this change. How many charging stations will we need? Where will we need them? What will that mean for the electrical grid and our energy supply? What will we do in areas where EVs or charging stations aren’t feasible? Could hydrogen FCEVs be a solution?
In this story, we tap into key considerations for electrifying our transportation industry. We identify how we can design the charging infrastructure to support the widespread adoption of EVs. We explore how to overcome energy challenges. And we outline what to do when EVs might not be the best option available.
We need to reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation industry. The widespread adoption of EVs and other zero-emission vehicles is critical to that mission.
How can we design the charging infrastructure we need for EVs?
According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, there are currently around 184,000 charging ports in the US. In Canada, there are only around 12,000. At first glance, that might sound like a lot. But not if we’re going to reach ambitious EV goals.
In the US, we have recently experienced changes in federal policy. No longer are we pledged to the previous administration’s goal of 50% of all new vehicles being electric or zero-emission by 2030. Some may see this as a blow to the EV market. But change is still coming, and the benefits of EVs cannot be overlooked.
That means we must still design and build the charging stations to support the transition. WIRED estimates the US will need more than a million charging ports to completely replace gas stations. This number will be achieved through at-home vehicle charging and public charging stations. But we also need to plan for converting our fleet vehicles. Private and public fleets will need to account for on-site charging to ensure their vehicles are ready for use.
Getting people to purchase EVs is only half the battle. We must also design, build, and maintain the energy infrastructure necessary to perpetuate the change.
There are a number of considerations when designing charging infrastructure. That’s why robust planning and assessments are key to any charging project. This part of the process also involves transition planning, funding analyses, technical details, and permitting. That means you’ll have to wholly understand the policy and regulations in your jurisdiction before you even begin. These can vary from region to region and can have significant impacts on your project.
Once you have your plans secured, you can move on to infrastructure design. Firstly, you must ensure your electrical grid can handle the increasing power and energy requirements. Will you be able to generate some of your own electricity on site? Or will you be drawing the energy entirely from the grid. Designing your own microgrid can enable you to do both. Secondly is a detailed site design. This aspect involves civil, electrical, and structural engineering. It also must include sound environmental engineering to make sure the project is environmentally friendly and meets regulations.
The City of Pasadena Marengo Garage Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Pasadena, California.
How can we upgrade and expand the electrical grid to support widespread adoption of EVs?
It’s no small secret that the electrical grid is already constrained in many places. For example, California has had significant challenges with black outs and brown outs—so much so that the state asked residents not to charge their EVs in 2022. And just last year, Alberta’s electrical grid almost collapsed during a brutal winter cold snap.
Charging stations will only continue to draw more power from our electrical grids. There is already plenty of competition for energy. Who’s going to be prioritized during times of high demand? To remedy this, we have to do two things. This first is modernizing and expanding the electrical grid. Significant upgrades to our existing electrical grid are required and we must commit to build and maintain new infrastructure. This is especially true for residential neighborhoods as people begin to install charging stations in their homes.
But we must also generate more reliable energy. That means finding a good balance between the intermittent nature of renewables like wind or solar and the carbon emissions from traditional fossil fuel sources. Developing other sources of energy like hydropower and geothermal with battery storage should also be considered. And, although controversial, nuclear generation must be brought back into the discussion. Another form of alternative energy? Hydrogen.
This might come as a surprise, but hydrogen vehicles are also electric vehicles. FCEVs powered with hydrogen could help us reduce the need for EV charging stations and lessen strain on the grid. They could also address the issue of battery density when looking into the weight and distance of current EV technology. Instead of using batteries to store and release energy, FCEVs use fuel cells to convert hydrogen into a steady power source.
FCEVs appear to be a fantastic option for vehicles that need to travel long distances with a heavier payload than standard passenger vehicles. Since their range is only limited by the size of their onboard hydrogen tank, they can go farther than a typical BEV. They are also better in cooler climates because hydrogen is not as impacted by cold temperatures as batteries.
Right now, the commercial fueling options for hydrogen vehicles are limited. As of 2024, there were only about 50 public hydrogen fueling stations in the US. They were primarily located in California. Additionally, there are a handful of stations in Canada. Many developers are actively working on developing additional fueling stations, particularly on the US coasts. These developers include legacy fossil fuel companies, hydrogen equipment suppliers, and entrepreneurs. To be successful, the hydrogen supply chain must be understood. This is particularly true if the hydrogen is produced offsite and trucked in. We should also note that hydrogen production is very energy intensive and can add significant loads on the local grid. So, we must find a balance there.
As we said earlier, transitioning people to EVs is only half the battle. We also need to generate enough energy to power them—and transmit that energy to our communities where it’s needed. Grid modernization and expansion is going to play a large role and will require significant investment. Producing hydrogen and transitioning to FCEVs can help lighten the load on the broader grid. Ultimately, an all-hands-on-deck approach is needed.
The City of Pasadena Hydrogen Fueling Facility in Pasadena, California.
Reducing GHG emissions and driving the energy transition forward
Heading forward, we need to reduce the carbon footprint of the transportation industry. The widespread adoption of EVs and other zero-emission vehicles is critical to that mission. But we also need the charging infrastructure to facilitate the transition as well as more energy and the electrical infrastructure to transmit that energy for use. It’s good to consider alternatives where they make sense. And that’s where hydrogen FCEVs come into play.
We all want to reduce GHG emissions and leave a better planet for future generations. At 25% of total GHG emissions, there’s a lot of work to do in the transportation industry. The good news? We have passionate experts who are working every day to solve these challenges. And we’re optimistic that as we transition away from carbon combustibles, we will have the energy and infrastructure to support it.