People in low-income communities in Los Angeles have very difficult access to electric vehicle chargers, according to a new UCLA survey released Thursday.
The study highlights a large gap in EV charging access, showing that there are about 70% less charging stations per person, indicating access in less favorable regions compared to other regions.
The researchers also emphasized that equitable access to charging infrastructure is essential to the transition to electric transport.
“There are 55,000 “public” chargers in the continent, but only 37,000 are fully accessible, and government data makes people think they are bigger than they actually are.”
According to researchers at UCLA, electric vehicles are a key component in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.
Further research analysed over 470,000 user reviews and US Department of Energy charger location data to access network coverage and user experience.
The analysis found that 27% of public charging stations, such as “employee only,” had access restrictions, 10% required individual paid parking, and 2% were under repair. This allows 61% of them to be functionally accessible.
“The reviews we analyzed have found that people arrive and people often find that the charger is damaged or that the app doesn’t accept payments to activate the charger.
The analysis also found that between 18% and 21% of LA’s low-income communities have fast charging stations.
Users from disadvantaged communities were also more likely to have negative experiences with public claims, according to Zhu.
Among other findings, hardware and technical issues such as malfunctions using chargers, screens, card readers and plugs were reported by 47% of users.
The survey found that 22% had difficulty accessing, including parking restrictions, access restrictions, blocked parking, unsafe locations, inadequate lighting and lack of nearby amenities.
Additionally, 13% of users are focusing on lower user experiences, including slower charging speeds and longer lines.
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