Guest post by Jakob Kleihues CEO and co-founder from ENAPI
Bridging EV Charging Cultures: Thoughts from Both Sides of the Atlantic
Spending time across the U.S. EV ecosystem this year, from New York to Austin and the tech companies in San Francisco, offered a rare window into how differently, yet ambitiously, the U.S. and European markets are approaching the transition to electric mobility.
While the adoption numbers speak clearly (Europe remains ahead in both EV penetration and public charging density), the thinking, ambition, and technology I encountered in the U.S. offer real reason for admiration. This post isn't about who is ahead - it's about why these ecosystems have evolved differently, and which insights can be learned from either.
Different Speeds, Different Strengths
At the end of 2023, EVs made up over 20% of new car sales in Europe (Statista), compared to roughly 10% in the U.S. (Auto Innovators). Public charger density mirrors this: Europe boasts more than 750,000 public charge points across the continent (EVBoosters), while the U.S. surpassed 180,000 late last year (U.S. DOT).
Europe's advantage here comes from policy cohesion. With EU-level mandates such as AFIR requiring fast chargers every 60 km along major corridors (AFIR Overview), and interoperability baked into regulation (think contactless payment, Plug & Charge support, and real-time pricing transparency), the European user experience is highly standardised. Roaming is commonplace; drivers expect to charge across networks and borders without thinking twice.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is catching up through concentrated federal funding (NEVI, IRA), strong state-level leadership (notably California), and an increasingly aggressive private sector push. Despite a fragmented past, there's now real clarity on standards, incentives, and rollout priorities (Joint Office of Energy and Transportation).
Where Europe Leads
Europe's strength lies in its infrastructure maturity and regulatory backbone. By aligning on CCS2 as the standard plug and enforcing roaming protocols, Europe made early bets that have paid off in reliability and user simplicity. Cross-border EV travel is not only possible, it's actively used. European charge point operators have also led in city integration (curbside chargers, smart grid alignment) and in deploying a mix of AC and DC infrastructure tailored to driver needs.
Moreover, competition and openness fuel innovation. With no single company dominating charging in Europe, the market is rich with challengers, hardware specialists, and creative urban concepts.
Where the U.S. Inspires
In the U.S., the scale and ambition are no less impressive. What stood out most is the strategic boldness. While fewer vehicles are electric today, those that are often operate in ecosystems that feel years ahead. Nowhere is this clearer than with Tesla.
Tesla is not just the market leader in vehicles. It is the gravitational center of U.S. charging infrastructure. Its Supercharger network accounts for over 60% of public DC fast chargers in the U.S. (DOE AFDC), and its NACS connector is rapidly becoming the default (SAE). Automakers across the board are adopting NACS, which will reshape how charging is deployed, used, and thought about.
But Tesla's influence runs deeper: it's a charging hardware company, an energy company, and a fleet operator. From load-managed Supercharger sites to solar + storage integrations, Tesla's play is vertically integrated, infrastructure-led, and remarkably effective. Despite any political narratives surrounding the brand, the company's original mission, to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy, remains intact. Its execution to date deserves genuine respect.
Plug & Charge and the Cultural Stack
Plug & Charge adoption exposes a philosophical divergence. In the U.S., a (modified) Plug & Charge experience has become a foundational element of new networks. But it's primarily thought of as a vertically-integrated service: Tesla, and others combine hardware, software, and vehicle in a single stack. It works.
In Europe, Plug & Charge is more fragmented. ISO 15118 adoption is ongoing, but the absence of a fair and open PKI governance and inconsistent driver experiences make the seamlessness we see in the U.S. harder to achieve. That said, the European approach reflects the complexity of building an open, multi-stakeholder ecosystem. What this demands, first and foremost, is a governance model that ensures no commercially motivated, non-neutral entity can make unilateral decisions. This naturally increases coordination overhead and slows down implementation, but it also safeguards long-term interoperability and fairness.
Autonomy and the Next Layer
Perhaps the most forward-leaning conversations I had in the U.S., especially in the Bay Area, weren't about EV charging at all - they were about autonomous vehicles. In markets where companies like Waymo and Zoox are live and visible, the assumption is that the future of charging involves less human intervention.
That mindset influences infrastructure decisions: authentication methods, site design, power levels, and roaming logic all shift when the customer isn't a person but a platform. It's an exciting reframe, and one that is worth watching closely. As vehicles get smarter, the network must follow.
Roaming, Strategy, and Incentives
We often assume U.S. market players are more ROI- and utilisation-driven than their European counterparts. But what I found instead is a diversity of strategic views. Some CPOs and MSPs in the U.S. are actively questioning whether roaming makes strategic sense, even at the cost of missing out on revenues.
That's not something I'd criticise. It's a reflection of where the market is in its maturity curve. It also highlights something important: not every efficiency is immediately valued. Sometimes, control, brand experience, or customer intimacy take precedence. Europe's strength in interoperability was born of necessity (cross-border travel, decentralised players), while the U.S. market has, until recently, moved more in silos.
What This Means for ENAPI
At ENAPI, our core thesis is that the future will be built on smart, neutral infrastructure that bridges ecosystems, rather than choosing sides. We believe in enabling roaming, Plug & Charge, and financial clearing between whoever needs to connect. And we are building a platform designed to handle both organic growth (like Europe) and coordinated top-down buildouts (like the U.S.).
We are proud to be independent. We're not a charger manufacturer, not a vehicle OEM, and not a network operator. That gives us a rare position: we don't care who wins. We care that the market works. That drivers (or their autonomous proxies) can move through it effortlessly. That the platforms building the EV future can focus on innovation, not integration.
We'll keep learning from both sides of the Atlantic. There's a lot to admire in each, and even more to connect.