2022 Senate Bill 1000 California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Assessment: Drive Times to Direct-Current Fast Chargers

In order for California to meet its climate action and clean transportation goals, it needs to support the transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and provide adequate ZEV refueling infrastructure, including hydrogen stations for fuel cell electric vehicles and chargers for battery electric vehicles. The inclusion and participation of underserved communities in the state’s zero emission transportation future is crucial to the achievement of California’s climate action and clean transportation goals and the prevention of disparities in charging access. SB 1000 (Lara, Statutes of 2018, Chapter 368) requires that the California Energy Commission (CEC) consult with the State Air Resources Board to assess whether charging station infrastructure, including direct-current fast charging infrastructure, is disproportionately deployed, to inform the CEC’s infrastructure investments. The CEC is required to evaluate charger deployment by population density, geographical area, and population income level, including low-, middle-, and high-income levels. In 2020, CEC staff analyzed public charger density and distribution by population density, geographical area, and income level. 

This analysis evaluates drive times to public direct-current fast charging stations and identifies communities with sparse fast charging coverage, which this study defines as communities with average drive times of 10 minutes or more to a public station. The study finds that rural communities have less public fast charging station coverage than urban communities. Low-income rural communities have the least coverage among communities grouped by income and urban or rural area. Public fast charging station coverage among disadvantaged urban communities varies and gaps exist. CEC staff developed drive time maps and spreadsheets that identify communities with sparse public fast charging station coverage. These are available for download on the SB 1000 webpage.