This paper was produced under a joint AEI-Brookings project.
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption faces a persistent problem: the lack of real-time data makes it hard to figure out which public chargers are working and available. That’s a big hurdle on a road trip. This charger uncertainty exacerbates range anxiety for EV drivers, despite new EVs offering longer ranges than a few years ago.
EV mapping apps help drivers find charging stations, but they have limited information on key basics like whether those chargers are in service or open, because some major charging network operators do not share real-time data with third-party platforms. This creates “data deserts”—routes where drivers have no reliable information even about whether chargers are working. We find that across six major interstates and 40 states, only 34% of charging stations provide real-time status data to PlugShare, a leading charge-finding app for EV drivers. This includes data deserts of up to 1,308 miles.
This paper proposes that states enact laws that require fast chargers to report real-time status that any EV mapping app can access. Then EV drivers could reliably navigate to working and available chargers. Rather than funding new investment, this approach makes the most of existing charging infrastructure and new chargers in the pipeline. It simply asks charging networks to provide open data on whether their chargers are working and available, and the price to charge, following rules laid out for chargers funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Using a two-sided model that incorporates consumer vehicle purchase decisions and charging station deployment patterns, we estimate that universal real-time data sharing for highway fast charges would increase the EV share of new vehicle sales by 6.4 percentage points annually by 2030. This would raise the EV share of new vehicle sales from 40% to 46% in 2030, increasing the 2030 EV fleet by 3.5 million EVs and reducing carbon emissions by 15 million metric tons in 2030 alone.
Given the current federal policy landscape, state-level requirements represent the most viable pathway to implementing this proposal. We identify 28 states, both “Battery Belt” states receiving substantial EV manufacturing investment and states that have followed California’s Zero Emission Vehicle standards, that should be interested in supporting EV adoption and appreciate this next-to-no-cost policy lever. These regions represent 67% of the nation’s registered vehicles, providing sufficient market force to push for broader compliance.
The paper includes model legislation for states that wish to establish common real-time data disclosure standards, creating a standardized network across the board.
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