Electric Vehicles Charging Stations Distribution Equity Assessment Using GIS and Gini Coefficient

The shift from fossil-fueled vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs) is a pivotal component of global efforts to combat climate change, reduce urban air pollution, and achieve energy sustainability. With transportation contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, EV adoption has gained momentum, supported by policies such as the European Union's goal to ban new fossil-fueled cars by 2035. This study evaluates the spatial equity of Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) distribution in four cities - Amsterdam, Milan, Naples, and Palermo - using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Gini index. Two scenarios were analyzed: population coverage and area coverage. Thiessen polygons were utilized to delineate service areas, and spatial buffer analysis was conducted to assess coverage proportions. The results highlight considerable disparities in equity. Amsterdam exhibited the most equitable EVCS distribution in terms of population coverage (Gini = 0.42), while Milan showed moderate equity among the Italian cities. Conversely, Naples and Palermo with Gini coefficients more than 0.5 threshold demonstrated significant inequalities in both scenarios. This study underscores the need to address inequities in EVCS distribution and suggests that future research should integrate additional factors, such as EV demand density and socioeconomic data, to better understand and mitigate these disparities.