3.1. Spatial Disparities in Public Charging Access and Socio-Economic Equity
Evaluating public charging infrastructure through an equity lens reveals significant structural imbalances between socio-economic groups and geographic sectors. As demonstrated in multi-objective siting research, conventional commercial allocation models prioritize high-traffic corridors and affluent suburban neighborhoods, which leaves multi-unit housing residents and lower-income commuters underserved and vulnerable to charging deprivation [3]. Siting methodologies focused purely on commercial cost efficiency capture only a narrow subset of socially optimal configurations, whereas equity-by-design frameworks explicitly minimize travel detours and enhance trip completion rates for marginalized travelers [3]. Furthermore, operational resilience in public transit corridors can be reinforced by integrating dual battery-swapping and standard charging systems, which reduces turnaround latency for commercial fleets while relieving localized grid pressure [1]. Such distributed infrastructure models must be harmonized with circular lifecycle governance, ensuring that high-utilization charging hubs serve as collection and diagnostics nodes for degraded lithium-ion cells [1], [8]. The convergence of equitable spatial access and closed-loop material stewardship transforms public charging hubs from isolated energy dispensers into integrated socio-ecological infrastructure assets [1], [3], [8].