Richmond's electric vehicle charger inequity
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Electric vehicle chargers are easier to find in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods in Richmond and nationwide, an analysis by the Axios What's Next team found.
Why it matters: Automakers and lawmakers are pushing EVs as a cleaner alternative to traditional cars.
- But concerns over charging access are one of the biggest holdups preventing more car buyers from going electric — along with high EV prices.
By the numbers: In the Richmond area, majority-white tracts are 2.69 times as likely to have a charging station as majority-nonwhite tracts, according to the analysis of the 35 U.S. cities with the highest share of EV sales.
- Nationally, majority-white tracts are about 1.4 times as likely.
Zoom in: The highest concentrations of EV charging stations in the Richmond area are in the 23230 zip code, which includes Scott's Addition and Libbie Mill, per the data.
- A cluster of chargers at The Current, a newly opened luxury apartment building in Manchester, accounts for the second highest local concentration.
Yes, but: There are just over 100 EV charging stations with unrestricted public access in the Richmond area.
- And there were fewer than 40,000 electric vehicles registered in all of Virginia as of July 1, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Methodology: The analysis relied upon EV market share data from S&P Global Mobility and charger location information from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Reality check: Charging is only one roadblock when it comes to electric car equity.
- Price is also a major concern. The average EV sold for $61,448 in December, according to Kelley Blue Book, putting them outside many car buyers' budgets.
What we're watching: Virginia is on track to adopt California's vehicle emissions standards next year under a "clean car" law passed in 2021.
- It would require about 8% of new cars sold by manufacturers be electric or hybrid. The percentage would increase annually after that, AP reports.
- Republicans are pushing to repeal the mandate, which they call unrealistic, but this week Democrats in the state Senate blocked the effort.