Making Electric Vehicles Accessible: The Path to Equitable EV Charging Infrastructure
Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure must be accessible to all communities, regardless of income or location. EVgo has made significant progress in improving equity across their charging network, achieving key milestones in 2021.
Measuring Impact and Service
EVgo uses two primary metrics to evaluate charging accessibility:
- Impact: Measured using EPA's EJScreen PM2.5 metric, which tracks air pollution exposure in low-income communities of color
- Service: Defined as being within a 10-minute drive of a charging station
Current Progress
The average PM2.5 EJScreen demographic score near EVgo chargers increased from 45% to 51% in 2021, indicating improved service to diverse and historically impacted communities.
Site Selection Strategy:
- Algorithms prioritize areas with high EV registrations
- Focus on traffic density and multi-family housing
- EJScreen scores integrated into site scoring tools
- Regular evaluation of service coverage in disadvantaged communities
Map showing regional charging coverage
Success Stories and Areas for Improvement
Seattle's King Plaza demonstrates effective implementation in diverse urban areas:
- Located in racially diverse neighborhood
- Surrounded by small businesses
- Accessible to multiple communities
Colored graph showing EV charging locations
Challenges remain in key areas:
- South Central Los Angeles between 110 and 405
- Northwest Detroit along Grand River Avenue
Blue pixel density map graph
Santa Barbara heat map suburban neighborhoods
Future Considerations
Key areas for development:
- Refining metrics beyond the 50% threshold
- Evaluating charging speed requirements
- Supporting legacy CHAdeMO stations
- Expanding partnerships with community organizations
- Implementing targeted neighborhood development plans
Public Sector Collaboration
Recommendations for government agencies:
- Expedite release of Volkswagen settlement funding
- Incorporate justice considerations in infrastructure plans
- Develop transparent, scorable site selection criteria
- Support community-based partnerships
The path to equitable EV charging requires ongoing commitment, community engagement, and strategic planning to ensure access for all communities.
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