Optimal Planning of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: Integrating Public Charging Networks and Transportation Congestion

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) represents a critical shift in personal mobility, fueled by policy support and advancements in automotive technology. However, the expansion of EVs for long-distance travel is hindered by charging time concerns, the sparse distribution of charging stations, and the worsening waiting times due to congestion. The main objective of this work is two-fold: 1) first, to comprehensively analyze the existing public charging station robustness and effectively strategize for the new ones, and 2) secondly, to select the optimal chargers for long-distance journeys, by estimating the waiting time from current traffic congestion. This is achieved by accompanying effective EV charging strategies, pinpointing on the congestion points from the existing traffic, and the robustness of the current charging station infrastructure. Utilizing a real-time transportation and charging station dataset in Texas, we identify optimal charger placement strategies to minimize travel time by examining the congestion and charging time trade-offs. Our findings suggest that maximizing the constant current phase during charging enhances efficiency, crucial for long-distance travel. On the contrary, we also explore the negative impact of congestion on travel times and we conclude that sometimes it might be beneficial to exceed the constant current phase to avoid the congested charging stations.