Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
09:34
Implementation of Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) for the Real-driving Emissions (RDE) Regulation in Europe
Published on: December 4, 2016
EV-ready building codes and electric vehicle adoption.
1Center for Global Sustainability, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA. jlou@umd.edu.
Nature Communications
|May 7, 2026
Summary
Local governments can promote electric vehicle (EV) adoption using EV-ready building codes. These codes increase EV adoption by 0.25 vehicles per census block, but benefits are concentrated in higher-income areas.
Area of Science:
- Environmental policy
- Urban planning
- Transportation studies
Background:
- Local governments increasingly adopt electric vehicle (EV)-ready building codes to encourage EV uptake.
- Limited empirical evidence exists on the effectiveness of these building codes in promoting EV adoption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of local EV-ready building codes on EV adoption rates.
- To analyze the distributional effects of EV-ready building codes across different communities.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of electric vehicle (EV) registration data from Maryland spanning 1999 to 2024.
- Application of a synthetic difference-in-differences (DID) research design to assess policy impact.
Main Results:
- EV-ready building codes were found to increase EV adoption by an average of 0.25 vehicles per census block.
- The positive impact on EV adoption was primarily driven by battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
- Distributional analysis revealed that the benefits of these codes are concentrated in higher-income communities and areas dominated by single-family homes.
Conclusions:
- EV-ready building codes are an effective tool for boosting EV adoption.
- Complementary policies are necessary to ensure more equitable and inclusive EV adoption across diverse communities.
Related Concept Videos
03:12Batteries and Fuel Cells
A battery is a galvanic cell that is used as a source of electrical power for specific applications. Modern batteries exist in a multitude of forms to accommodate various applications, from tiny button batteries such as those that power wristwatches to the very large batteries used to supply backup energy to municipal power grids. Some batteries are designed for single-use applications and cannot be recharged (primary cells), while others are based on conveniently reversible cell reactions that...
01:10Electrical Energy
Using electric appliances for a longer period of time consumes more electrical energy and results in a higher electric bill. The energy produced by the transfer of electrons from one point to another is known as electrical energy. If power is delivered at a constant rate, the electrical energy can be defined as the product of power used by the device for a period of time. The energy unit on electric bills is the kilowatt-hour, where one kilowatt-hour is equivalent to 3.6 × 106 joules. The...
01:07Electrical Power
Electric power is the product of current and voltage, represented in units of joules per second, or watts. For example, cars often have one or more auxiliary power outlets with which you can charge a cell phone or other electronic devices. These outlets may be rated at 20 amps and 12 volts, so that the circuit can deliver a maximum power of 240 watts. Consider a 25 Watt bulb and a 60 Watt bulb. The conversion of electrical energy produces heat and light, while the kinetic energy lost by the...
01:21Electrical Systems
In electrical engineering, the analysis of networks composed of passive linear components — resistors (R), capacitors (C), and inductors (L) — is fundamental. These components are organized into circuits where the relationship between input and output can be analyzed using transfer functions. The transfer function of an RLC circuit, which relates the voltage across a capacitor to the input voltage, can be derived using Kirchhoff's laws.
To derive the transfer function, consider an RLC circuit...
To derive the transfer function, consider an RLC circuit...
01:02Electromotive Force
Electromotive force (emf) is the force that causes current to flow from a higher to a lower potential. The term "electromotive force" is used for historical reasons, even though emf is not a force at all.
Any circuit with a constant current must contain an emf-producing source. Examples of emf sources include batteries, electric generators, solar cells, thermocouples, and fuel cells. All these sources transform energy of some kind (mechanical, chemical, thermal, and so on) into electric...
Any circuit with a constant current must contain an emf-producing source. Examples of emf sources include batteries, electric generators, solar cells, thermocouples, and fuel cells. All these sources transform energy of some kind (mechanical, chemical, thermal, and so on) into electric...
02:36Electromotive Force
Electricity is generated by either electrons or ions flowing through a solution or a conducting medium. This flow of electrons or specifically electrical charge is defined as an electric current. When electrons move through a wire, they generate an electric current. It can be recalled that in a redox reaction, electrons are lost and gained. In the spontaneous redox reaction of zinc with copper, when zinc is immersed in a copper ion solution, a transfer of electrons from one substance to...