Electric vehicle charging infrastructure deployment: A discussion of equity and justice theories and accessibility measurement

Abstract

The ultimate goal of this discussion paper is to inject more rigorous consideration and measurement of equity and justice issues into research and policymaking around the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI). To achieve this, we first examine equity and justice theories in transportation and their alignment with the concept and measurement of accessibility. Equity and justice frameworks abound (e.g., horizontal vs. vertical equity, ladder of justice standards, theories of equity and justice from economic and political philosophy), but all tend to offer different normative perspectives on how to distribute resources among members of society. The accessibility concept is a promising tool for operationalizing these theories, because it explicitly measures opportunities and can be applied to quantify existing disparities or the differential or aggregate outcomes of policies. Next, we interpret these justice/equity frameworks and accessibility measurement in the context of EVCI deployment and literature on disparities in access to charging stations. We discuss which population subgroups to analyze, how to quantify EV charging opportunities and activities, and what to include in travel time and cost calculations. Our paper concludes with additional discussions on community engagement, supply vs. demand, externalities of EVCI, and other issues. A key takeaway for policymakers and researchers is to clarify the ethical perspective being applied in EV analyses and policy, as different equity/justice theories yield diverse responses to how policies should address disparities, including those related to access to EV charging infrastructure.