Japan Has More Charging Stations Than Gas Stations... Sort Of

Japan has more electric car charging points than gas stations, according to a report on Transport Evolved.

According to the report, as of earlier this month, there were more than 2,819 CHAdeMO DC rapid chargers installed across the country, far more than the 1,532 installed in the whole of Europe or 854 found in the United States.

However, car maker Nissan Motor Co Ltd (ADR) (OTC: NSANY) says there are over 40,000 charging spots, versus the 34,000 gas stations currently trading in Japan.

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"Unlike the majority of gas stations in Japan however, the 40,000 electric car charging points quoted by Nissan includes ones in private homes, causing some critics to cry foul," the report said.

Nissan sells two all-electric vehicles in Japan — the LEAF electric hatchback and e-NV200 electric minivan.

Meanwhile, the electric cars face challenge from hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. While the Japanese government to date has been quite proactive in its support of electric vehicle infrastructure, the report said current administration is working hard to promote hydrogen fuel cell technology versus electric vehicles.