Optimization of e-Mobility Service for Disabled People Using a Multistep Integrated Methodology

Abstract

The penetration of e-mobility is growing thanks to the European guidelines on climate preservation regarding the reduction in CO2 emission. Governments are adapting their economic policies with the aim to incentivize e-mobility. At the same time, with a view to equality and accessibility, countries are working to introduce e-mobility services also for people with disabilities in order to improve the quality of their lives. The paper reports the deployment of an e-mobility service for persons with disabilities carried out in a project financed by Sapienza University of Rome. The project includes a feasibility study and a cost–benefit analysis in order to identify the optimal solution from a technical and environmental point of view for a sustainable e-mobility service for people with reduced mobility. A methodology to design a service based on optimal routes and electric vehicles with respect to energy consumption, time travel, energy and vehicle costs and quality of service is proposed. The 5-step methodology calculates the most energy-efficient routes and defines the optimal charging schedule, taking into account charging points dislocated along the routes and choosing vehicle typologies with the best performance based on economic evaluations. A software was developed to automatize the methodology.