{"685553":{"#nid":"685553","#data":{"type":"news","title":" Lack of Charging Station Data Deters Widespread Adoption of Electric Vehicles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElectric vehicles (EVs) can be environmentally friendly and more cost-effective \u2014 until drivers plan a road trip. Charging stations aren\u2019t as prevalent as traditional gas stations, and even if they can be found along the route, they may not be functioning or may already be occupied by other cars.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile EV charging locator apps can show drivers where the nearest charger is, they aren\u2019t always accurate enough to show real-time status, such as whether a charger is working and available. How are drivers supposed to hit the road when they aren\u2019t sure where their next charge is coming from? This uncertainty can be enough to deter drivers from purchasing an EV altogether.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew research from Georgia Tech, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests that state governments should step in to help. The right policy could inspire data transparency by station hosts, ensuring that EV drivers have reliable networks \u2014 and thus encourage EV ownership. The researchers presented their findings in the paper, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/charger-data-transparency\/\u0022\u003ECharger Data Transparency: Curing Range Anxiety, Powering EV Adoption\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d in September\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EBrookings\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EData Deserts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers conducted a field experiment to discover the extent of the problem. This analysis showed that just 34% of EV charging stations provide real-time status updates across six major interstates in 40 U.S. states. The researchers found 150 to 350-mile stretches without real-time charger availability, longer than the stated range of many EV models. This leaves thousands of miles of highways in a data desert.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe just don\u0027t have real-time data infrastructure necessary to build confidence in the reliability of charging, especially in communities along transit corridors,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/omar-isaac-asensio\u0022\u003EOmar Asensio\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt\u0027s not that the capability isn\u2019t there. It\u0027s that there aren\u0027t clear incentives to encourage EV charging station operators to do the right thing and share the data.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECharging Transparency\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGovernment regulation is necessary to improve charging reliability, according to the researchers. State governments could offer funding for charging stations only if the station host agrees to data transparency. A simpler policy proposal would be for all fast chargers on highways to post their real-time status to an application programming interface, where software developers could access it. This approach would provide reliable information on whether a public charger is operational, and it can make government spending more efficient by leveraging network effects. The research team is already collaborating with state governments from Massachusetts to Georgia to discuss how to make this government regulation a reality.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EState governments will also benefit, as EVs can help them close the gap on decreasing carbon emissions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cElectric vehicles are a key strategy for decarbonizing the transportation sector and delivering public health co-benefits, but consumers need to trust that public chargers will work when they need them,\u201d Asensio said. \u201cUntil real-time data disclosure standards are addressed, reliable, widespread adoption will be hard. A data-centric approach can enhance the efficiency of existing transportation investments.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany states, including Georgia, have also supported EV manufacturing. EV brand Rivian \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/atlanta\/2025\/09\/17\/rivian-georgia-ev-plant-breaks-ground-5-billion-jobs\u0022\u003Erecently\u003C\/a\u003E broke ground on an assembly plant outside Atlanta. More widespread EV adoption is paramount to making these plants economic successes. Data transparency regulations could be a start toward finally making EVs the ideal road trip vehicle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearchers suggest that states should regulate data transparency to improve the reliability of electric vehicles.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers suggest that states should regulate data transparency to improve the reliability of electric vehicles."}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2025-10-06 14:57:48","changed_gmt":"2025-10-06 14:58:13","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673424":{"id":"673424","type":"image","title":"Asensio.png","body":null,"created":"1710725720","gmt_created":"2024-03-18 01:35:20","changed":"1710725696","gmt_changed":"2024-03-18 01:34:56","alt":"Omar Isaac Asensio","file":{"fid":"256820","name":"Untitled design - 2024-03-17T203338.520.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/17\/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-03-17T203338.520_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/17\/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-03-17T203338.520_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":911432,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/17\/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-03-17T203338.520_0.png?itok=R4wPtVgN"}}},"media_ids":["673424"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"187082","name":"go-ideas"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}