Plugging in but priced out: Energy justice and the affordability gap in electric vehicle policy in Michigan, United States

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2026

Abstract

Transportation electrification is increasingly promoted through policy goals and incentives, yet the shift to electric vehicles represents a socio-technological transition involving a wide range of technologies and processes beyond the vehicle or charging station. While policymakers articulate goals for equitable pursuit of electrified transportation, actual alignment of these policies with energy justice remains underexamined. This study evaluates electric vehicle policies in Michigan, United States. We employ a deductive thematic content analysis of 76 enacted state and federal policies from the United States Department of Energy database. Drawing on energy justice tenets and Amartya Sen's capability approach, the analysis distinguishes between nominal access to charging infrastructure and the substantive capability of low-income households to afford electrified mobility. Results indicate that while Michigan prioritizes expanding charging networks and recognizing rural and Tribal communities, critical gaps remain. Specifically, the policy landscape relies disproportionately on federal initiatives and exhibits a stark absence of state-led, direct affordability measures such as point-of-sale rebates for low-income buyers. Furthermore, competitive grant structures and a lack of explicit justice terminology in policy risk reinforcing existing spatial and economic inequalities. Achieving a just transition requires moving beyond aggregate targets for vehicle sales and charging station installations to recognize the full context of the socio-technological system transition involved in transportation electrification. Policymakers must implement targeted state-level incentives that benefit all residents and address housing infrastructure readiness to ensure transportation electrification genuinely enhances capabilities and advances energy justice.

Publication Title

Energy Research and Social Science

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