Hundreds of public fast chargers are popping up across the US to serve electric vehicle drivers seeking a cleaner alternative to gas-powered cars. But they come with a surprising risk: Charging stations create air pollution. While EVs contribute vastly less to air pollution than combustion-powered vehicles, fast-charging stations are what a recent study called an “overlooked source of air pollution.”
The US added 703 high-speed charging stations in the second quarter, bringing the total across the country to 11,400, according to Energy Department data. Charging firms are planning to install hundreds more before year-end, making it important to address health risks now before the infrastructure becomes entrenched.
The problem “can be solved,” said Yuan Yao, a co-author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Fielding School of Public Health. “We want to make sure that EV adoption is clean.”
