Estimating Optimal Number and Locations of Electric Vehicle Charging Station for Two Wheelers on Route Kathmandu-Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are plagued with some drawbacks that act as the major hindrance for people to accept with open arms. One of the most pivotal factor to consider is range anxiety: majorly due to the limited range of battery, and lack of charging infrastructure. This research intends to address the issue of range anxiety or the feeling of not reaching the destination on an EV through optimal distribution of charging stations in a specified route. So as to achieve the objective a generic algorithm is designed and programmed that pins out optimal number of charging locations on a route based on least range anxiety. The model fabricated is implemented on 132km stretch connecting two major cities of Nepal: Kathmandu and Chitwan. The algorithm calculates the average range anxiety placing two, three and four charging locations of different combinations. The best result for two charging locations was found to be 43km and 89km from Nagdhunga CheckPost, Kathmandu. The range anxiety for the combination was 2.6, means the average arriving SoC was 43%, and ending SoC (State of Charge) level of 11%. Similarly, with charging locations at 33km, 58km, and 87km produce 2.16 range anxiety level and 53.6% ending SoC level. Likewise, average anxiety level of 2 and ending SoC level of 63.5% is obtained with locations at 27km, 52km, 77km, and 102km.