Electric vehicle charging stations at risk from hazardous events and power outages: Analytics and resilience implications

The resilience of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a notable challenge as the transportation sector transitions toward electrification, driven by the need to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper examines the risks posed by natural hazards and power outages to electric vehicle charging stations in the United States, with a focus on understanding how these risks impact charging infrastructure. We analyze correlations between national risk index scores and the deployment of Level 2 and DC fast charging stations, utilizing geospatial risk scores, charging infrastructure, and records of year 2023 electric disturbance events. Our findings reveal weak but statistically significant correlations between the distribution of chargers and national risk index scores, with severe weather and natural hazards emerging as primary causes of power outages that disrupt charging operations, particularly in high-risk states like Texas. The risk threshold analysis in Texas identifies a critical tipping point, a risk index score greater than 97.18, where the probability of power outages due to natural hazards increases significantly, providing a clear decision-making guideline to prioritize infrastructure fortification in high-risk and hazard-prone regions.