Many US Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ 5 Strategies Can Help

This guide by the World Resources Institute outlines five strategies for U.S. local governments to equitably expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, aiming to prevent 'charging deserts' in historically disadvantaged, rural, and low-income communities.

• The U.S. faces a significant gap in charging infrastructure; while the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that 33 million EVs would require 28 million charging ports, as of July 2023, the U.S. had only 141,900 publicly accessible ports and 19,600 private non-residential ports.
• Systemic disparities in home ownership and energy costs create barriers to EV adoption. Only 47% of households of color own homes compared to 72% of white households, and low-income households spend up to three times more of their income on energy costs than higher-income households.
• Local governments can address charging disparities by using community input to determine charger locations. For example, Seattle City Light used a community engagement process that generated over 2,000 submissions for potential sites across city districts.
• Prioritizing 'charging deserts'—particularly areas with high densities of multifamily housing and renters—is a key strategy. Cook County, Illinois, used mapping to identify service gaps in south and southwest suburbs to prioritize grant awards for under-resourced communities.
• Expanding curbside charging helps urban renters who lack private parking. New York City's pilot with Con Edison and FLO showed utilization rates reaching 54% in some areas, while Los Angeles is installing pole-mounted chargers on streetlights.
• Local governments can improve pricing transparency and affordability. Waco, Texas, issued a request for proposal requiring charging fees to be within 20% of the local market price and requested 30-day notice for fee changes.
• Equitable electrification requires a system-wide approach that includes micromobility and public fleets. Examples include Denver's e-bike rebate program for income-qualified residents and Pittsburgh's development of 50 mobility hubs that accommodate cash payments for scooter and bike charging.

APA

World Resources Institute (2023). Many US Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ 5 Strategies Can Help. https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-charging-station-access

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Many US Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ 5 Strategies Can Help. 2023. https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-charging-station-access.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Many US Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ 5 Strategies Can Help |date=25 September 2023 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-charging-station-access |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2023many, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Many US Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ 5 Strategies Can Help}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/electric-vehicle-charging-station-access}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }