An analysis of EV charging and route choice behavior considering the effects of planning ability, risk aversion and confidence in battery in long-distance travel

Abstract

The increasing demand for long-distance and intercity travel is driven by the progress in regional transportation integration and the establishment of charging infrastructure. This increase suggests that the use of electric vehicles (EVs) for long-distance trips is likely to become more prevalent in the future. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more studies on the travel behavior of EV drivers for long-distance trips. However, there are few studies looking at the travel behavior of EV drivers on long-distance trip and multiple charging during trips. To fill this gap, this study identified EV drivers’ preferences for charging and route choice in long-distance or intercity travel on the basis of a stated preference survey, with the Shandong highway network as the travel scenario. A nested logit (NL)-based hybrid choice model was used to investigate the impacts of personal attitudes, namely planning ability, risk aversion and confidence in battery, on the drivers’ charging times choice behavior. The NL structure consists of two levels, with the upper level focusing on the charging times decision process, and the lower level analyzing the choice behavior of routes with no charging, routes with charging once, and routes with charging twice. The results show that the initial state of charge, and attitudes significantly influence the decision on charging times. In addition, EV drivers who are risk-averse and lack confidence in the battery tend to charge, whereas drivers with strong planning ability prefer to charge once in long-distance travel. Charging and resting simultaneously is the best way to meet the needs of charging and resting, and reduce the time lost while driving. These results provide insights on drivers’ travel planning and charging infrastructures planning for long-distance trips.