Income and racial disparity in household publicly available electric vehicle infrastructure accessibility

This study investigates income and racial disparities in access to publicly available electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in the United States using 2021 micro-level data from 121 million households. National averages show lower-income households have less access, regardless of location. Black households experience better urban access but worse rural access than White households, controlling for income. However, county-level analysis reveals significant geographical variations. While Black households nationally show greater urban accessibility, this advantage diminishes at the county level. The study identifies areas with significant inequality, highlighting the need for tailored local government solutions to ensure equitable EV infrastructure access.

Jiehong Lou, Xingchi Shen, Deb A. Niemeier, Nathan Hultman