Preventing EV Charging Deserts

Have you heard of the concept of food deserts? Food deserts are regions where people have limited access to healthful and affordable food. The same thing is happening with EV charging and now is the time to reverse the trend and keep it from being baked into the EV charging infrastructure landscape. If we want to make a meaningful dent in the greenhouse gasses emitted by the personal transportation sector, we will need to have EV charging not just along highways, but out in communities and at least as convenient as gas stations are today.?

What solutions are out there to keep this developing situation from inflating into unmanageability?

In this article - https://bit.ly/ChargeDeserts_GIS - from North American Clean Energy , Dennis Rose, PLS suggests using #GIS to help alleviate the problem. #EVSE installers should already be using demographic data, market surveys, etc. to pick installation sites but it shouldn’t end there. Did you know that 40% of #NEVI funds are set aside for disadvantaged, low income, rural, and tribal communities? Still, these sites are along Alternative Fuel Corridors, which are along highways and may not reach into the communities where people live and work. There are ways to improve the easy accessibility of EV charging in the communities that need it most, so they’re not left behind.?

Some states publish maps showing areas designated for special consideration, for example the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Population map - https://bit.ly/MassEnvJustMap. Massachusetts adds extra funding for public charge sites in these areas. Does your state publish similar information??

One piece of the puzzle; deploying curbside charging in lower income city areas. The City of Boston through its Boston Transportation Department has tapped it's electric and the Better Together Brain Trust (BT2) to help its efforts advancing the former. The program is designed so that the level 2 curbside chargers can be installed without permitting problems and at zero cost to property owners. EV owners will need to supply their own charging cable. Property owners interested in participating can sign up at https://www.itselectric.us/join.

Another company, Coul St , is taking a slightly different approach to curbside charging.? Their solution provides curbside pedestals while the EV owner has their own detachable charging cable.? This bring-you-own-connection model is much more common throughout the EU.? The cost? According to founder Joshua Charles , the price will be $600 to $1000 plus installation - https://bit.ly/CoulStCost.? It’s also aimed more at individual home / business owners than, say, apartment buildings.

The State of California is another state trying to address the lack of charging infrastructure in lower income areas. Through its REACH 2.0 (https://bit.ly/mdmLinkedInReach2) program the @california energy commission has granted @gopowerev $14.1 million to deploy level 2 charging in approx. 30 disadvantaged and low-income Southern California communities. The program enables residents to charge at home in their assigned parking spaces.

Another piece; deploying charging in MDU(Multiple Dwelling Unit ) / MFD (Multi-Family Dwelling) housing, especially in lower-income communities. This could be a tough nut to crack because of the chicken & egg problem.? Because of high new EV prices, EV penetration is logically lower in lower income brackets.? Should someone want to take advantage of used EV depreciation, they still face the hurdle of finding a place to charge, especially if they’re apartment dwellers. Which companies or organizations are addressing this situation??

One company I know of (there are probably others out there), Pando Electric , provides a solution for MDU charging and when I asked their head of corporate strategy, Joseph Nagle , about installations in lower-income / disadvantaged communities, he replied, “Yes, in fact that's our core business.” Definitely heartening to hear!

Then there is the Federal Highway Administration ’s CFI (Charging and Fueling Infrastructure) discretionary grant program - https://bit.ly/FHWA_CFI which is designed to prompt the deployment of “...publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work…” In other words, out in communities instead of just along designated Alternative Fuel Corridors which tend to be major thoroughfares.?

Conclusions

It is gratifying to see that this issue is no longer being ignored.? These existing efforts need to be expanded upon, and others need to be added, while keeping a watchful eye on maintenance and reliability. There’s that chicken & egg problem. However the used EV market is gaining steam and because of depreciation, many are extremely affordable. Still, it’s always best, in my opinion, to identify and address a problem before it balloons into something so unmanageable that you’re left forever playing catch-up.? Best to get slightly in front than to be scrambling from behind.?

Credits / References

Kevin Voigt - Bumper.com - https://bit.ly/EVDeserts, Dennis Rose, PLS - https://bit.ly/ChargeDeserts_GIS, Joshua Charles , Matt Ferrell , Sean Ferrell, Shonté Davidson ?

Short Bio

Who am I? It is my mission to accelerate the electrification of the transportation system!

I'm an Experienced Technical Support / Customer Success specialist with years of telephone / email support with novice to expert customers leading to customer success with a variety of PV BoS components including writing documentation for @KiloVault LFP batteries.

Credentialed as a LEED Green Associate (#11157031) by #GBCI and as both a Solar Energy Expert and a Net Zero Expert by the European Union Energy Center / UN Environment Programme . I've recently completed SkillFusion 's EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) Diagnostic Technician Credentialing Program (EDT).

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