CHARGE-MAP: An integrated framework to study the multicriteria EV charging infrastructure expansion problem

The surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption has presented us the challenge of developing accessible and cost-effective charging infrastructures. To address this challenge, we present a framework charge-map. It consists of: i) an agent-based simulation module that considers location, commute, and charging behavior patterns of EV users to estimate charging demands, ii) an optimization module that finds best placement of new charging stations to meet the demands, and iii) a power module that determines how to connect the stations to the power-grid. To demonstrate the applicability of charge-map, we take Virginia as our study area. Our results show that by strategically placing a limited number of new charging stations, charge-map can significantly improve the charging experience of the population.