Charging electric vehicles on long trips and the willingness to pay to reduce waiting for charging. Stated preference survey in Norway

Abstract

Technological developments in charging speed and battery capacity are leading to an increased use of electric vehicles (EV) for long trips, but the charging infrastructure network is too scarce to satisfy the growing energy needs. Few public charger stations are available outside urban areas, triggering long queues waiting for a vacant charger. A better understanding of charging behaviour on long trips is needed to optimise the provision and distribution of charging facilities. This research contributes to existing literature by estimating the willingness to pay for reducing waiting time for charging, as well as understanding the role of explanatory variables in influencing decisions about charging at public charging stations on long trips. Responses from a stated preference (SP) survey in Norway in 2021 were analysed with a mixed logit model. Results showed that price, waiting time, charging speed and facilities were significant variables for station characteristics, while for trip features, the distance to destination and remaining range, also play a significant role. Finally, if deciding to charge, respondents to charge the battery to a higher level rather than a small top-up. There is extensive heterogeneity in preferences across travellers.