EV charging finance: big growth, big risks
The EV charging market is forecast to expand sharply through 2035, but supply‑chain shocks tied to the Iran war and shifting tax incentives are creating real financing and timeline risks for project lenders. Lenders face volatile input prices, procurement delays, and incentive uncertainty even as demand for EVSE financing grows. (forbes.com) (openpr.com) (afma.org.au)
Future Market Insights projects the global EV charging‑station market to rise from USD 26.87 billion in 2025 to USD 143.0 billion by 2035 (futuremarketinsights.com)). Forbes reports the Iran war is already disrupting green‑energy supply chains, naming battery and component sourcing vulnerabilities that extend to EVSE procurement timelines. (forbes.com)) Copper and other raw‑material price shocks are pressuring project costs after the IEA reported copper briefly exceeded about USD 14,500 per tonne in January 2026, driven by supply disruptions and tight inventories (iea.org)). Utilities and site developers face long equipment lead times too: transformer delivery times have stretched to as long as three years, according to industry trade reporting and NEMA commentary. (utilitydive.com)) Policy‑driven demand swings are creating revenue uncertainty for lenders: Australia’s industry bodies warned that proposed tax changes could slow EV uptake, with surveys showing 39% of buyers considering low‑emission vehicles but responsive to incentive shifts (afma.org.au)). In the U.S., federal credit changes precipitated a sharp market reset—January 2026 EV registrations fell about 41% year‑over‑year—underscoring the refinancing and residual‑value risks for loans tied to EV adoption. (autoblog.com)) Banks and project lenders are nevertheless structuring large, asset‑backed facilities: EVgo closed a senior secured, non‑recourse credit facility of $225 million (with optional increase to $300 million) to fund more than 1,500 high‑power DC stalls, using existing charging stalls as collateral. (evgo.com)) Grid interconnection and permitting delays are materially shifting project schedules and capital needs—an NRDC analysis estimates faster energization could avoid nearly $90 billion in lost value—while DOE and industry task forces continue to document multi‑stage utility approval hold‑ups for high‑power sites. (nrdc.org)) Software and platform responses are emerging: Solifi’s equipment‑finance implementation with Rosenthal converted contracts and targeted go‑live in roughly eight weeks to support rapid product roll‑outs (solifi.com)), Solifi’s acquisition of DataScan brings inventory‑audit and digital risk tools used by 45+ banks and captives for wholesale/floorplan oversight (equipmentfinancenews.com)), and Solifi’s 2025 Leasepath deal expanded mid‑market lease and loan management capabilities—moves that address origination speed, collateral tracking, and compliance needs for lenders financing EVSE and site developers. (nefassociation.org))
