Addressing Local and Regional Recharging Demand: Allocation of Charging Stations through Iterative Route Analysis

Abstract

The emergence of electric vehicles offers a promising approach to achieving a more sustainable transportation system, given their lower production of direct emissions. However, the limited driving range and insufficient public recharging infrastructure in some areas hinder their competitiveness against traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines. To address these issues, this paper introduces an “iterative route cover optimization method” to suggest charging station locations in high-demand regions. The method samples routes from a route choice set and optimally locates at least one charging station along each route. Through iterative resampling and optimal allocation of charging stations, the method identifies the potential recharging demand in a location or a region. We demonstrate the method’s applicability to a transportation network of the southern part of Sweden. The results show that the proposed method is capable to suggest locations and geographical regions where the recharging demand is potentially high.