Boon or Bane? Regional Transportation Planning in the Vehicle Electrification Era

This article examines how Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) respond to vehicle electrification and factors that shape these strategies. Using multiple quantitative and qualitative methods, an analysis of planning documents from fifty-two MPOs finds that most MPOs recognize the environmental potential of electric vehicles (EVs), as well as the emerging challenges related to funding, infrastructure, and implementation. The results also highlight the influence of state-level EV policies and regional car dependence on MPO responses. These findings suggest that EV planning should be more closely integrated with state transportation and environmental strategies and coordinated with broader transportation decarbonization efforts.