The battery swapping service network deployment problem: Impact of driver range anxiety and impatience

Abstract

The burgeoning field of electric vehicles (EVs) presents new challenges for the deployment and operation of urban battery swapping service networks (BSSNs), particularly in terms of driver behavior and dynamic demand, areas that are often overlooked in research. This paper offers a new perspective on BSSN deployment, focusing on customer churn. We develop a dynamic demand model considering driver range anxiety. Subsequently, we create a queue model to describe the battery swap process, factoring in impatient customers. We also examine the impact of customer ’balking’ and ’reneging’ on the battery swap process. Furthermore, we develop a queueing network algorithm framework to address this issue. A comparative analysis demonstrates the versatility of this method and its compatibility with heuristic algorithms. We propose two primary strategies to enhance service efficiency and decrease customer churn: increasing battery stocks and adding battery swapping stations (BSSs). Moreover, we investigate the application ranges of these strategies. We further observe that while delayed charging can curtail costs and balance grid loads, it can also cause considerable customer churn. Therefore, cost- and efficiency-oriented service providers should implement different strategies for the optimal deployment and operation of BSSNs.