• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 9, 2022

In a move that has implications for sustainability, social equity, as well as the ability to target discrete audiences with digital out-of-home media near the point of retail purchases, ad-supported electric vehicle (EV) charging station network Volta this morning unveiled a plant to accelerate the rollout into “disadvantaged and underserved communities.”

Dubbed the “Charging For All” initiative, Volta says it is investing in the deployment to help support the Biden Administration's ambitious EV infrastructure goals with a focus on communities that might otherwise not be prioritized by infrastructure developers, or the ad community that supports many of the EV charging stations.

“Charging deserts hold back EV adoption – along with the economic and health benefits that come with it,” Volta explained in a blog post unveiling the initiative this morning. 

As part of the initiative, Volta said it will release an “expanded version” of its proprietary AI technology tweaked to focus on “equity and economic impact” in order to serve disadvantaged communities. 

Volta did not disclose the geographic footprint of its rollout plan, or how it would impact ad targeting explicitly, but it cited work it is doing with state governments in Alabama, California and Michigan.

It did post two graphics (below) showing the charging station footprint in Birmingham, AL in 2020, as well as an AI projection of what it might look like by 2027, respectively