Commuting Time, Charging Infrastructure, and Electric Vehicle Adoption for Sustainable Transportation: A Case Study of Washington State

Thomas Gifford and Edward Barbier
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Thomas Gifford: Department of Economics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-13

Abstract: Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely recognized as a critical component of strategies for a more sustainable transportation sector. However, adoption remains uneven across communities, in part due to the concern that limited charging availability and long commutes discourage EV use. This paper evaluates the following two hypotheses: (H1) census tracts with longer average commute durations exhibit lower levels of EV adoption, and (H2) greater availability of local charging infrastructure is associated with higher levels of adoption. Using a cross-sectional dataset of 2024 EV registrations in Washington State merged with census tract demographic characteristics, we estimate ordinary least squares models of per capita adoption. The results show that longer average commutes are negatively associated with adoption, while greater charger density is positively associated with adoption. Demographic factors such as income, education, and race also shape adoption patterns. While the cross-sectional design does not permit causal inference, the analysis highlights how behavioral constraints related to range anxiety and infrastructural provision jointly influence EV uptake, providing evidence to guide more equitable and effective EV policies for sustainable transportation.

Keywords: electric vehicles; commuting time; charging infrastructure; range anxiety; sustainable transportation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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