Economic specialization, infrastructure, and rural electric vehicle adoption

I demonstrate that a region’s economic specialization is a critical determinant of electric vehicle (EV) charging station access, particularly in rural areas. Specifically, recreation-dependent economies have more public charging stations. In a national analysis, I show U.S. recreation counties are 21 percent more likely to have a public station and nonmetropolitan recreation counties are 27 percent more likely. In California, I demonstrate this relationship spills into the EV market: those within zip codes with ten percent higher recreation employment share purchase 2.3 more EVs as a result of improved charging infrastructure. The upshot is that communities that are not recreation dependent experience less charging investment, limiting EV adoption and making decarbonization goals more difficult in regions where people drive more and in more polluting vehicles. The results highlight how an uneven charging network can lead to uneven EV adoption, risking that many of the poorest communities may miss out on long-term benefits from electric vehicles.