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). This study examines equity and justice theories in transportation and their alignment with accessibility. Various frameworks, such as horizontal vs. vertical equity, ladder of justice standards, and economic and political philosophy theories, offer different normative perspectives on resource distribution among society members. 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, the authors interpret these justice/equity frameworks and accessibility measurement in the context of EVCI deployment and literature on disparities in access to charging stations. This study discusses which population subgroups to analyze, how to quantify EV charging opportunities and activities, and what to include in travel time and cost calculations. The paper concludes with additional discussions on community engagement, supply vs. demand, externalities of EVCI, and other issues. Policymakers and researchers should clarify the ethical perspective in EV analyses and policy, as different equity/justice theories provide diverse responses on how to address disparities, including access to EV charging infrastructure.