Consumer evaluations of charging infrastructure and preferences for fast charging infrastructure

We investigate fast-charging behavior during long-distance trips, recognizing that the factors influencing charging choices in long-distance trips may differ from routine trips, and the trade-off between cost, charger availability, detour time, and recharging time can be more important.

Our analysis is based on data from experiments on fast charging choices during long-distance travel by owners of both Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). A total of four choice experiments were conducted for each respondent, each featuring two unlabeled options with varying charging types, cost per 100 miles, charging times per 100 miles, detour time, charger availability, wait times, and facility availability. To better understand the exogenous factors affecting charging choices, we also examine the interaction effects of household income and BEV range.

Methods
This study conducted a questionnaire survey in February and March 2024, targeting existing plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) owners. The respondents were sampled from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) database, specifically targeting PEVs of model year 2015 and later. The survey was distributed to 4,120 PEV owners, of whom 1,265 began the survey. A total of 1,102 respondents completed the choice experiment, and 1,086 completed the entire questionnaire. This survey aims to quantitatively evaluate the factors influencing charging preferences for long-distance trips using stated preference (SP) data. We designed a choice experiment to examine the preferences of BEV owners regarding faster charging on long-distance trips. The choice experiment considers several factors, including charging type – label (fast: 100kW to 125kW or ultrafast: 250kW to 400kW), charging cost, charging time, detour time to the charger, whether there is a chance of having to wait at the charger, the typical wait time, and whether there were different amenities available at each charging location. This design allows us to understand preferences for charging speed, time, detour distance waiting time, and facilities at charging locations.