Los Angeles electric vehicle charging infrastructure needs and implications for zero-emission area planning

This report quantifies Los Angeles electric vehicle charging infrastructure needs and associated energy demand citywide in 2030 to align with the city’s goal of 25% zero-emission vehicle stock by 2025 and 80% by 2035. It also quantifies needs in specific areas that are poised to become zero-emission areas or fully fossil fuel free by 2030.

Los Angeles will need approximately 536,000 home chargers by 2030 to accommodate roughly 1.3 million electric vehicles. These home chargers make up 90% of the total charger needs and account for 60% of the total electric vehicle energy demand. By 2030, direct current fast chargers in Los Angeles will need to grow by a factor of 33 to about 3,900 chargers, while public Level 2 chargers will need to increase by a factor of 8 to about 21,500 chargers. Workplace charging will need to increase to at least 25,000 chargers by 2030.

If city interventions that shift mobility from private vehicle trips are implemented, public and workplace charging needs are reduced by about 45% from approximately 50,000 to 27,000 chargers in 2030, and the annual 2019–2030 growth rate is reduced from 31% to 24%.

An analysis of four sample zero-emission areas (ZEAs) in Los Angeles finds that approximately two to four times more public and workplace chargers are needed by 2030 than were in place at the end of 2019. The scale of infrastructure growth needed in the ZEAs is relatively less than growth needed elsewhere in Los Angeles due to the significant shift away from private vehicle ownership and travel analyzed in these areas.

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