Electric vehicle charging disadvantage: a social justice perspective on charging with implications to accessibility

Abstract

Electric vehicle (EV) charging access is an important component in the transition to electric mobility, yet access disparities exist across user groups, creating distributive, recognition, and procedural justice gaps. In this paper, we introduce the term charging disadvantage, denoting challenges users face in accessing EV charging. We develop a conceptual framework, the EV charging capabilities (EVCC) framework, grounded on the social justice perspective of the capabilities approach, to illustrate the determinants and impacts of charging access, considering both transport and energy contexts. We conducted a literature review to inform the development of this framework. While previous literature extensively studied the impact of charging access on EV adoption, we further explore the effects on users’ travel behaviour, activity scheduling, and accrual of energy-related assets. By shifting the viewpoint of charging access from spatial infrastructure distribution to the provision of capabilities, we can identify the roles of financial capacity, personal conditions, social roles and relationships, physical environment, and wider structural conditions on charging disadvantage and its consequences. The EVCC framework can be applied as a tool to systematically identify users vulnerable to charging disadvantage and to guide the analysis of EV charging policies and practices. Using the same literature review, we demonstrate one of these applications by identifying highly vulnerable groups and providing recommendations to address their vulnerability. We underscore the need for EV charging infrastructure planning and deployment that is user-centred and captures activity and energy access, rather than solely relying on physical proximity to facilitate a just electric mobility transition.