Thanks for keeping up with the CREtech Community in the News! For more news about members of the CREtech Community, follow us on Linkedin. 

A new digital mapping tool reveals a significant need for public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in various parts of the Los Angeles metro area, highlighting several "charging deserts" despite the city's reputation for high EV adoption. Key areas with high need include Inglewood, Redondo Beach, Long Beach, and Fullerton. This is concerning because if a major EV market like Los Angeles struggles with public charging infrastructure, other regions might face similar or worse issues.

Developed by CBRE, a leading real estate services company, the tool helps identify areas with a high need for EV chargers. It aggregates data from up to 80 sources, including mobile phone usage, traffic patterns, EV ownership rates, housing types, and crime statistics, to provide a comprehensive view of charging infrastructure needs. The findings indicate that suburbs like Inglewood and Redondo Beach lack sufficient public chargers, making EV ownership challenging. Other areas such as Sherman Oaks/Studio City, Lomita, southwest Torrance, UCLA, and Cal State Fullerton also show a high need for charging infrastructure.

Several factors contribute to these charging deserts. In areas where most residents rent, fewer people have access to home charging options. Some neighborhoods lack the necessary electrical substations to support additional chargers, and limited parking space can impede the installation of new chargers. Los Angeles serves as an ideal case study, being the third-largest EV market in the U.S. (behind San Francisco and San Diego). With nearly 588,000 EVs registered (4.2% of all cars on the road) and EVs making up 21.5% of new car registrations in April, the demand for charging stations is high. The city's efforts to install chargers on light poles are a step towards meeting this demand.

Specific challenges are highlighted, such as in Inglewood, where despite having over 1,000 registered EVs and thousands more passing through daily, there are no public chargers. Nearly 70% of Inglewood residents are renters, and the area faces parking and electrical distribution challenges. CBRE's tool highlights the gaps in America's charging infrastructure. With over 1 million EVs sold in the U.S. last year and the percentage of light-vehicle sales that were electric dropping slightly in early 2024, the need for an extensive and reliable charging network is more critical than ever.

The U.S. currently has about 186,000 public charging ports across nearly 70,000 locations, mostly slower Level 2 chargers. To support the growing shift away from gasoline, significant improvements in public charging infrastructure are necessary. CBRE's digital mapping tool underscores the urgent need to enhance EV charging infrastructure across the U.S., particularly in major EV markets like Los Angeles. Addressing these charging deserts will be crucial for supporting the continued growth and adoption of electric vehicles.

Original article posted on June 25, 2024