Integrating human behavior into planning models for workplace EV charging networks

Abstract

Many institutions are grappling with how to support their employees and other constituents who drive electric vehicles (EVs) by providing local charging services. We formulate a novel “parking stall electrification” model that estimates constituents’ charging needs and can guide institutional strategy for deploying and expanding workplace charging. Unlike most prior literature, our model explicitly incorporates commuter behavior—pivotal for any network built to operate under real-world commuter conditions—derived from recurring surveys of EV drivers (N=626) at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). We demonstrate the model at UCSD using these behavioral data and find that institutional goals and choice of chargers have a profound effect on commuters’ network usage and stall electrification requirements.