Analysis of GPS-based High Resolution Vehicle Mobility Data towards the Electrification of Transportation in Qatar

Vehicle mobility analysis is a critical input to make data-driven decisions to deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructures that are required for mass EV adoption. Traditionally, infrastructure planning is carried out by following manufacturer’s specification on EV performance and using low-resolution data from national travel surveys. On the other hand, EV performance significantly degrades in countries like Qatar and other neighbouring Gulf States due to the hot desert climate. Moreover, the lack of public travel surveys require the creation of GPS-based mobility datasets to analyse spatio-temporal EV demand. To that end, this paper presents the first vehicle mobility dataset in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region by analysing data collected from seven vehicles (six petrol car and one EV) using telematics devices for nine months. The gathered data is processed using machine learning based clustering algorithms to reveal location analysis to examine daily activities, trip patterns, and impacts of weather on fuel efficiency. The results show that the EV driving experience is very risk-adverse due to reduced driving ranges in summer and lack of charging infrastructure. Also, home and workplace charging are well-suited for the recorded population, as the daily trip lengths are within the range of most EV models. We also report significant differences in fuel efficiency between summer and winter driving due to air-conditioning needs. The findings will shed light into GCC region’s net-zero transition and decarbonise one of the most carbon-intensive economies of the world.

I. Introduction

The pressing need to decarbonise the transportation sector require the phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles [1]. Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most promising technology option to offer low-carbon ground transportation [2]. To support mainstream EV adoption, most members of the G7 countries, including the UK, the USA, and the EU, have introduced bold, time-bound, and front-loaded plans in the form of subsidies, tax breaks, and ban on the sale of petrol cars [3]. Despite significant improvements in the battery technology [4], the adoption rates are hindered by range anxiety, lack of sufficient charging infrastructure, and relatively high procurement cost.