Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is more accessible but less equitable than petrol stations
7 affiliations
- 1School of Electrical Engineering, Guangxi University
- 2Department of Electrical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University
- 3National Engineering Laboratory for Big Data Analysis and Applications, Peking University
- 4MoE Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence, AI Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- 5School of Economics, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
- 6Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University
- 7Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CASE), School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
The rapid expansion of public charging infrastructure is essential for reducing transport emissions, but its accessibility and fairness relative to conventional fuel networks remain unclear. Here we show that public charging stations provide shorter average travel distances for most people than petrol stations, indicating improved overall accessibility. However, this advantage is not shared equally, with underserved populations experiencing poorer access. Public charging stations also display greater spatial inequality than petrol stations, reflecting their concentration in densely populated urban areas. Analysis further reveals that the socioeconomic and infrastructure factors associated with charging station inequality vary substantially across cities. These findings suggest that although the expansion of charging infrastructure has improved average access, its urban-focused and partly market-driven development may reinforce geographic disparities. Incorporating equity considerations into infrastructure planning will be important to ensure that the transition to low-carbon transport benefits all communities. This study draws on geospatial data from more than one million buildings, over 100,000 charging stations and 337 cities across China.
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BibTeX
@article{yu2026electric,
title = {{Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is more accessible but less equitable than petrol stations}},
author = {Ruotao Yu and Bo Li and Chengcheng Shao and Jianxiao Wang and Yanyan Xu and Kai Yang and Jinghua Li and Haiwang Zhong and Daniel M. Kammen},
journal = {Communications Sustainability},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s44458-026-00179-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s44458-026-00179-8},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is more accessible but less equitable than petrol stations
AU - Ruotao Yu
AU - Bo Li
AU - Chengcheng Shao
AU - Jianxiao Wang
AU - Yanyan Xu
AU - Kai Yang
AU - Jinghua Li
AU - Haiwang Zhong
AU - Daniel M. Kammen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Communications Sustainability
DO - 10.1038/s44458-026-00179-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44458-026-00179-8
AB - The rapid expansion of public charging infrastructure is essential for reducing transport emissions, but its accessibility and fairness relative to conventional fuel networks remain unclear. Here we show that public charging stations provide shorter average travel distances for most people than petrol stations, indicating improved overall accessibility. However, this advantage is not shared equally, with underserved populations experiencing poorer access. Public charging stations also display greater spatial inequality than petrol stations, reflecting their concentration in densely populated urban areas. Analysis further reveals that the socioeconomic and infrastructure factors associated with charging station inequality vary substantially across cities. These findings suggest that although the expansion of charging infrastructure has improved average access, its urban-focused and partly market-driven development may reinforce geographic disparities. Incorporating equity considerations into infrastructure planning will be important to ensure that the transition to low-carbon transport benefits all communities. This study draws on geospatial data from more than one million buildings, over 100,000 charging stations and 337 cities across China.
SN - 3059-4308
ER -