Suggested Citation:
Hoogland, Kelly and Scott Hardman (2025)

Brief: Electric Vehicles Could Reduce Costs for Low-Income Drivers if Structural Barriers are Addressed

. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Brief UCD-ITS-RR-25-45

Abstract:

Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are central to California’s strategy to reduce transportation-related emissions; however, low-income households face significant structural barriers to adoption. These barriers include the high upfront purchase costs of new BEVs, limited supply of used BEVs, limited access to home charging, and low awareness of BEVs. To better understand these obstacles and identify effective policy responses, our research team analyzed survey data collected from 2,051 priority population households throughout California between December 2023 and June 2024. The survey asked households about their vehicle purchasing behavior, ownership costs, and socio-demographics.