Equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States
Abstract Equitable coverage and reliable operation of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) are crucial for a just transition to a carbon-free future. Yet, a comprehensive national analysis of public EVCSs across different communities is lacking in the United States. Here, we utilize real-world...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60091-y |
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| _version_ | 1849329581539983360 |
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| author | Qiao Yu Tristan Que Lara J. Cushing Gregory Pierce Ke Shen Mayank Kejriwal Yuan Yao Yifang Zhu |
| author_facet | Qiao Yu Tristan Que Lara J. Cushing Gregory Pierce Ke Shen Mayank Kejriwal Yuan Yao Yifang Zhu |
| author_sort | Qiao Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Equitable coverage and reliable operation of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) are crucial for a just transition to a carbon-free future. Yet, a comprehensive national analysis of public EVCSs across different communities is lacking in the United States. Here, we utilize real-world reviews (n = 470,142) from a user-generated content platform to analyze public EVCSs at the census tract level. We find that disadvantaged communities (DACs) have 64% fewer public EVCSs per capita than non-DACs. This disparity rises to 73% when considering renters in multi-dwelling units. Additionally, EVCS users in DACs and urban areas experience significantly more reliability issues compared to those in non-DACs and rural areas, primarily related to hardware and technical failures. Given the limited access to home charging in DACs and their underserved public infrastructure, these findings highlight critical equity concerns and call for targeted investment in EVCS infrastructure and reliability improvements, particularly in DACs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e99e6916f4e84f1fa1e399bfd9a0f57e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e99e6916f4e84f1fa1e399bfd9a0f57e2025-08-20T03:47:13ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-06-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-60091-yEquity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United StatesQiao Yu0Tristan Que1Lara J. Cushing2Gregory Pierce3Ke Shen4Mayank Kejriwal5Yuan Yao6Yifang Zhu7Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los AngelesDepartment of Computer Science, University of California, Los AngelesDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los AngelesLuskin Center for Innovation, University of CaliforniaInformation Sciences Institute, University of Southern CaliforniaInformation Sciences Institute, University of Southern CaliforniaDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los AngelesDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los AngelesAbstract Equitable coverage and reliable operation of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) are crucial for a just transition to a carbon-free future. Yet, a comprehensive national analysis of public EVCSs across different communities is lacking in the United States. Here, we utilize real-world reviews (n = 470,142) from a user-generated content platform to analyze public EVCSs at the census tract level. We find that disadvantaged communities (DACs) have 64% fewer public EVCSs per capita than non-DACs. This disparity rises to 73% when considering renters in multi-dwelling units. Additionally, EVCS users in DACs and urban areas experience significantly more reliability issues compared to those in non-DACs and rural areas, primarily related to hardware and technical failures. Given the limited access to home charging in DACs and their underserved public infrastructure, these findings highlight critical equity concerns and call for targeted investment in EVCS infrastructure and reliability improvements, particularly in DACs.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60091-y |
| spellingShingle | Qiao Yu Tristan Que Lara J. Cushing Gregory Pierce Ke Shen Mayank Kejriwal Yuan Yao Yifang Zhu Equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States Nature Communications |
| title | Equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States |
| title_full | Equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States |
| title_short | Equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the United States |
| title_sort | equity and reliability of public electric vehicle charging stations in the united states |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60091-y |
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