Powering the Future: The Road to Electrification - Boosting Adoption via Equitable Access

Co-Written by Shannon Horning - Technical Writer

Many articles highlight the electrification of transportation as an essential step in reducing air pollution, often because it is the lowest-hanging fruit for a journalist. However, the need for transportation electrification is rooted more deeply in community transformation and equitable mobility. For professionals specializing in emerging technology, it is common to see that those with expendable incomes have the opportunity to take advantage of newer technology. In manufacturing, it is the major companies with immense research and development budgets. This dynamic is mirrored in the public transportation sector, where similar disparities persist and hinder the spread and progress of EV technology for all.

Disparities and Equitability in EV Adoption

An analysis of current statistics on electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the U.S. reveals that the average household income for an EV owner ready to purchase is $150k while approximately 80% of EV owners own their home. These owners have the ability and privilege to create their own home charging stations. However, the largest disparity is observed among the populations frequently excluded from the EV adoption conversation: renters.

As of 2024, 34% of U.S. households are renters, and depending on the age group or location, that percentage could reach to over 65%. These renters are often excluded from the EV adoption conversation due to a lack of charging infrastructure at rental properties, economic barriers, and gaps in policies and incentives that support homeowners over renters. However, if EV charging is made more accessible to renters at home, our company Green Edge Tech found a potential increase of 16% in EV adoption among households with incomes between $75,000 and $100,000. An expanded survey found that lack of accessible nearby charging suppressed EV demand in 2022, potentially reducing sales by up to 315,000 EVs and at a previous average ticket price of $60k, well over well over $18 Billion in sales.

On top of this disparity, media and EV news outlets consistently report the average price of an EV - currently just over $56k. While accurate, promoting this mindset stifles the EV adoption curve, overlooking a significant portion of the population - common by those lacking understanding about promoting the adoption of newer technologies. To truly impact electrification within the transportation sector, we must focus on the overlooked populations—renters, and those earning under $100k per year—by emphasizing that the entry point for an EV is much closer to $30,000. We can then highlight the benefits of pre-owned EVs and their efficiency as daily commuter vehicles. 

This brings us to the single most critical statistic in this industry, found in any credible survey: roughly 80% of EV owners prefer to charge at home, a behavior that hasn’t changed before or after the pandemic. Recognizing this, Green Edge Tech included in its initial surveys questions such as "How far would you walk to charge your EV?" and "Do you currently have your own DIY or unapproved EV charging installation?" to better understand and address these preferences, as shown in the figure below.

Figure 1: Percentage of respondents’ answer to the question “How far would you walk (each way) to drop off your car at a charging station.

Significantly, 61% of potential EV owners would accept a 5-minute walk. After 5 minutes, the numbers start to plummet.

As we transition into a more equitable and accessible mobility sector, it is crucial to also consider and ensure the accessibility of EV technology, particularly for renters and those unable to afford electrical service upgrades in residential communities. We need creativity, we need uniformity, we need grid supplementation, and we need to look at the overlooked. Most importantly, we need to understand the major difference between the quantity of “available” chargers and “accessible” chargers.

Regulatory Landscape

In preparing for this article, we considered that it is customary to outline the current regulations in the EV landscape, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or the Inflation Reduction Act. However, the real focus should be placed on the challenges in implementing these regulations. For example, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated $7.5 billion for EV charging infrastructure, aiming to build a national network of 500,000 charging stations by 2030. The common assumption is that all 500,000 of these stations will be available, but installation doesn't ensure accessibility or operational status. Currently, there are no penalties for installers who fail to meet uptime requirements, which are only around 70% instead of the required 95% or higher.

Models centered around availability like this also result in redundancy. While it can be argued redundancy serves to leverage current funding opportunities and “future-proofing” the infrastructure, this strategy sacrifices accessibility and equitability during implementation. Having spent a lifetime in sales, redundancy is a corporate way to maximize machine sales per transaction while minimizing the need for service and maintenance. An easy litmus test is asking the EVSE manufacturer, "'Who' is your service person in the area?" Typically the answer is a vague “We have a ‘list’”, even in cities where adoption is higher.

Regarding “future-proofing”; there is no such thing. “Future-ready” is a more practical approach for technology, spoken typically by those who understand the adoption of emerging technology. Adopting a "dig once" mentality, as reflected in some current legislation, and expanding infrastructure with growing demand is a more effective strategy. However, until we start holding implementers accountable for maintaining EV infrastructure, we will continue to face pushback in the market and a common feeling of putting the cart before the horse.

Utility Adaptation Strategies

As a company focused on equitable EV charging access, we view infrastructure as an ecosystem. Indeed, local utility companies are crucial to our strategy, but to continue expanding, we must constantly explore innovative methods for both grid resiliency and expansion. This includes increasing storage capacity and considering more microgrid installations. Despite there having been discussions about grid upgrades for years—if not decades—there remains a noticeable lack of comprehensive effort from the majority of utility companies.

Those working directly with under-resourced areas can attest that we are missing valuable opportunities for better adaptation and implementation by not taking a strong stance in empowering our under-resourced, rural communities to become more self-sufficient and sustainable in their energy sourcing, and not just at larger corporate farms and facilities. Monica Carey, the Pennsylvania Program Director of Solar United Neighbors, works closely with these areas and explains the issue in greater detail,

 “Community solar policies directly benefit communities financially and more holistically when it is designed with equity at the forefront,” she says. “These programs incorporate community ownership, providing benefits directly to the communities while building support for solar at large. Furthermore, there is a guaranteed savings to all subscribers, including low-income subscribers. Thoughtful programmatic designs allow families to build generational wealth while reducing their energy burden, gaining energy independence. In Pennsylvania, House Bill (HB) 1842 would enable community solar, although we hope for broader updates to come, HB 1842 passed the PA House with bipartisan support and significant momentum behind it.”

Holistic improvements enable us to develop larger-scale ecosystems to support both current and future technologies. This becomes increasingly important as we scale discussions to accommodate larger vehicles in community settings — not just for transporting goods but also for large-format mobility, such as school buses.

Equitable Access for Renters and Low-Income Communities

Challenges for Renters

Renters face unique challenges in accessing EV technology due to the lack of charging infrastructure in Multi-Family Housing (MFHs). According to Energy.gov, only 37% of renters have access to a garage or carport to install a home charger. Suppose you do not own the prevailing infrastructure of that home. The challenges to properly connecting an EV charger will require you to convince the property owner to invest or create your own DIY solution. 

This results in an even greater issue. In the anonymous poll held by Green Edge Tech, it was found that 21% of EV owners in the Pittsburgh area admitted to having already created their own DIY installation. Before we even discuss the dangers of this infrastructure, it becomes clear that if municipalities across the U.S. do not take action, we will soon face a chaotic, unmitigated mess of DIY installations. 

Legislative Solutions

To address these challenges, legislation should mandate EV charging stations in new residential developments and offer incentives for retrofitting existing buildings, a solution already seen in some areas. For example, California's SB 1482 requires landlords to allow tenants to install EV charging stations if certain conditions are met. However, to simply say, “Give the landlords more money” is not the answer. The funding is finite and must be distributed across the municipalities. This highlights the need for greater discussion on curbside charging, which can serve a larger group of residents.

In contrast, the Borough of Swissvale, Pittsburgh PA, instituted one of the few broad-range, multi-pronged grass roots efforts, integrating a door-knocking campaign, local council support, and involvement with students from CMU’s Heinz School of Information Systems and Public Policy to incorporate equitable scoring with mapping automation. This software advancement improved curbside location scouting, enabling a more equitable placement of EV charging. Not to mention it was also placed within an Environmental Justice Zone. This remarkable project was 100% funded without tax dollars, completed near a major city that is flailing with a “wild west” infrastructure, moving toward house-to-house inspections. A house-to-house inspection process not only perpetuates the inequities of EV charging, but it presents an unrealistic and unsustainable model due to the increased load on municipalities.

A solution like curbside charging, contrary to the popular opinion, takes little-to-no regulatory changes, and is one of the most cost-effective solutions available. It can employ the “dig once” mentality, expand as demand grows, and the additional power supply can be monitored much more effectively by local utility companies, avoiding random spikes throughout neighborhoods. It isolates service and support, and can also be implemented without big marketing logos and signage; EV drivers have phones and mapping integrations in their cars and they can access an app that tells them where the stations are.

Affordable Electrical Service Upgrades

Another major benefit of curbside access in lower-to-moderate income areas is that residents won’t need to rely on every landlord to provide access, especially since tenants may eventually move. Curbside solutions also allow for more efficient and universal electrical upgrades for residents without placing major burdens on municipalities. One of the best benefits of curbside solutions is the ability to consolidate funding into higher-usage areas, where the residents live - again, 80% of the EV ownership population. This focuses on an approach less discussed - utilization.

Few surveys address the “usability” and “accessibility” of EV chargers. There is only one survey that we know of that indicates that the optimal placement of an EV charger is either at home or within a five-minute walk. However, most guidelines suggest a 10-minute walk, which often results in even poorer infrastructure. And, in reality, it frequently ends up actually being a 20-minute walk, effectively telling residents, “We don’t care about what you want. We want you to come shop 2-3 times per week. If you don’t want to shop, well then, work or eat in your car”. 

Where do we go from here?

Overall, a great next step in efficiency of our EV infrastructure could happen if we actually implemented a usable structure that is based around the needs of the community. We know we need to emphasize the need for the electrification of transportation and its “availability,” but this oversimplifies the issue. To advance EV adoption, we must place accessibility and equity at the forefront and turn our attention towards the groups often overlooked and underserved.

The transition to electric transportation may have started as a crucial moment in the fight against climate change. Ensuring equitable access to EV technology, particularly for renters and low-income communities, is essential for a successful jump across this current adoption chasm. 

Approaching the adoption of green technologies from this perspective, rather than prioritizing “redundancy”, we could quickly help drive the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, ultimately contributing to a cleaner more sustainable future, a more efficient grid, and even do it equitably.