Travel Demand and Charging Capacity for Electric Vehicles in Rural States

As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) increases, planners must consider not only how this fuel switch may affect the electrical power infrastructure but also mobility. The suitability and charging requirements of these vehicles may differ in rural areas, where the electrical grid may be less robust and the number of miles driven higher. Although other studies have examined issues of regional power requirements of EVs, none has done so in conjunction with the spatial considerations of travel demand. For the forecast of both the future spatial distribution of EVs and the ability of these vehicles to meet current daily travel demand, this work used three data sets: the National Household Travel Survey, geocoded Vermont vehicle fleet data, and a geocoded data set of every building in the state. The authors considered spatial patterns in daily travel and home-based tours to identify optimal EV-charging locations and any area types that are unsuited for widespread electric vehicle adoption. Hybrid vehicles were found to be more likely to be adjacent to other hybrids than were conventional vehicles. This apparent clustering of current hybrid vehicles, in both urban and rural areas, suggests that the distribution of future EVs may also cluster. The analysis estimated that between 69% and 84% of the state's vehicles could be replaced by EVs with a 40-mi range, but that estimate was dependent on the availability of workplace charging. Problematic areas for EV adoption may be suburban areas, where both residential density (and potential clustering of hybrids) and miles driven are high. The results suggest that EVs are viable for rural mobility demand but require special consideration for power supply and vehicle-charging infrastructure.