Climate change mitigation efficiency of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in China: From the perspective of energy transition and circular economy

• Published in: Resources, conservation and recycling conservation and recycling, 2022-04, Vol.179, p.106048, Article 106048
• Main Authors: Li, Guijun, Luo, Tanxiaosi, Song, Yanqiu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon emission reduction; Data envelopment analysis; Electric vehicle charging; Energy structure; Resource utilization
• ISSN: 0921-3449; 1879-0658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.106048

•The climate change mitigation efficiency of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) in 30 provinces of China is assessed from 2016 to 2019, using slack-based data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) and Malmquist Productivity IIndex.•There are substantial regional disparities in China's EVCI mitigation efficiency and its dynamic change.•Resource utilization and energy structure are proved to have significant impacts on the mitigation performance of EVCI.•By intergrating with circular economy and energy transition, EVCI can perform better in accelerating carbon emission abatement. As electrification becomes one of the most promising ways for low carbon transition in the transport sector, electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) has been widely perceived as a vital public service and strategic asset for supporting the transition in China. Considering the massive investments required by EVCI deployment and the urgent need to mitigate climate change, it is significant to maximize the environmental benefits of EVCI with limited resources. However, current studies mainly focus on the economic efficiency of EVCI, with limited attention to the environmental perspective. Hence, this study employs the slacks-based data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) model and Malmquist Productivity Index to evaluate the climate change mitigation efficiency of EVCI in 30 provinces of China from 2016 to 2019. The results show substantial inter-provincial variations in current efficiency levels and dynamic changes. To explain the differences and provide theoretical reference for future improvement, this study conducts determinant analysis and finds that resource utilization and energy structure have significant impacts on EVCI mitigation efficiency. Based on the results, this study further puts forward targeted efficiency improvement strategies for provinces at different development stages from circular economy and energy transition perspectives.