Locating Fast Charging Stations for Safe and Reliable Intercity Electric Vehicle Travel in Washington

Abstract

It is generally believed that direct current fast charging (DCFC) infrastructure has a significant effect on consumer adoption of electric vehicles (Evs), especially for long trips. To examine this relationship in Washington state, the expected adoption rate of EVs in each zip code was estimated by using a zero-inflated negative binomial model and then compared with the current adoption rate of EVs. The difference between expected and actual number of EVs in each zip code was then examined to determine whether it corresponded to the density of current DC fast charging stations in that zip code or adjacent zip codes. Results showed that in the northern and eastern parts of the state there are few DCFC charging stations and also lower than expected EV adoption rates. In contrast, the western part of the state showed higher EV adoption than predicted based on sociodemographic characteristics, along with a much greater concentration of DCFC stations. These results could be used for making policies related to future investments in this field.