Uncovering hidden energy injustice in the distribution of urban electric vehicle charging resources

Large-scale electrification of transport encourages a fair allocation of urban charging resources to deepen the demand for energy justice. However, existing research and practices on distributional energy justice remain limited owing to the reliance on coarse data that overlook individual-level characteristics. Here, we adopt a micro-level benefit-responsibility perspective and use high-resolution data from 9,231 electric vehicle (EV) users to develop two individual-level metrics for charger allocation reassessment. We uncover in the disguise of a seemingly fair charger distribution at the macroscopic level a hidden energy injustice at the microscopic level. In Beijing, individuals residing in lower-priced housing achieve 43.24% greater carbon savings but incur 91.43% more time using urban charging services compared with those in higher-priced housing. This unattended allocation imbalance indicates that current policies insufficiently address the complexities of energy justice and carbon neutrality, underscoring the need for more nuanced strategies and revealing underlying structural causes.