Date of Award
2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Systems Engineering
Department
Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering
First Advisor
Gretchen A. Macht
Abstract
Socio-demographic factors, such as race, income, and housing types, play a key role in the distribution of public charging infrastructure. Existing work primarily focuses on economic or technical optimizations of location planning, while a fair distribution across all population groups is often insufficiently considered. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between the geographical distribution of public electric vehicle charging stations and socio-demographic characteristics in Cook County, Illinois. It analyzes how different patterns of charging behavior relate to key socio-demographic variables and how distinct user groups can be identified based on these relationships. To achieve this, data from an electric vehicle infrastructure provider is linked to United States Census Bureau data and to the United States Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool at the census tract level. The study found that the current distribution of public charging stations favors affluent, predominantly White neighborhoods. Multidimensional clustering analysis revealed that low-income, disadvantaged, and predominantly Black neighborhoods have significantly lower charging activity. After linking the data to front-tenant categories, the question arises whether these groups use charging stations at all, given that many locations are concentrated around event-related destinations rather than everyday necessities. However, the analysis also shows that even predominantly White neighborhoods may face infrastructure gaps under certain conditions. These findings underscore the need for a context-specific approach to infrastructure planning to support an equitable transition to electromobility across the United States. This approach can make electric vehicle adoption more attractive to all population groups and reduce range anxiety.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Pensky, Emma M., "ANALYSIS OF CHARGING STATION DISTRIBUTION THROUGH SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS: A CHICAGO CASE STUDY" (2025). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2650.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2650