Adoption of Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure: Policy Design and Effectiveness

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The rapid deployment of electric vehicles and the supporting charging infrastructure plays a critical role in national and subnational efforts to decarbonize the transportation sector and combat climate change. A wide range of policy actions have been taken by the state and federal governments to facilitate an equitable and efficient transition to electric and low-carbon mobility. This panel brings together four papers that examine the interplay between public policy and electric vehicle infrastructure deployment. The papers draw data from a diverse array of sources and apply a range of analytical approaches, including survey experiments, topical modeling, causal inference, and geospatial analytics, to advance our understanding of this critical policy domain. In doing so, the four papers not only improve our understanding of the EV technology-policy interplay, but also make important theoretical contributions to the fields of public policy design, energy policy evaluation, and energy justice. Together, this panel offers a multidimensional perspective on how public policy can be designed to shape the future of electric mobility in an effective and equitable way.

The first paper (Eric Coleman) examines how perceptions of fairness shape support for EV policies, particularly those targeting rural communities. Through a pre-registered conjoint survey experiment, the study demonstrates that rural respondents disproportionately support rural-targeted subsidies, while urban respondents with high “fairness intensity” oppose them. The second paper (Anmol Soni) investigates how policy framing (environmental vs industrial) influences EV outcomes across U.S. states. Combining text analysis of state legislation with EV registration data, the study estimates the impact of different policy frames on outcomes in the EV market. The third paper (Lavan T Burra et al.) analyzes residential EV charger permit data in California to examine how nearby existing residential charger installations drive new adoption. The work highlights the role of spatial spillovers in technology diffusion and finds the effect of nearby residential charger adoptions to diminish over time and distance. The fourth paper (Yifan Liu) evaluates two federal approaches to expanding EV charging networks: direct grants (e.g., the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program) and tax incentives to the private sector (e.g., Opportunity Zones). The study finds that Opportunity Zones outperform direct grants in fostering charging station deployment. 

Policy Area

• Natural Resource, Energy, and Environmental Policy

Chair

• Yu Wang, Iowa State University

Discussant

• Chi Ta, The University of Texas at Austin

Individual Presentations

• Industry, Environment, or Both? Analyzing State-Level Electric Vehicle Policy Mixes in the U.S. - Presenting Author: Anmol Soni, Louisiana State University

• Spatial Diffusion and Neighboring Effects of Residential Electric Vehicle Charger Adoption - Non-Presenting Co-Author: Lavan Teja Burra, Purdue University; Presenting Author: Shan ZHOU, Purdue University

• Public Dollars or Private Decisions? A Policy Comparison for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Growth - Presenting Author: Yifan Liu, Georgia Institute of Technology

• A Conjoint Experiment on the Fairness of Electric Vehicle Policy - Presenting Author: Eric Coleman, Florida State University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: David Akinbori Akindoyin, Florida State University

Organizer

• Lavan Teja Burra, Purdue University