Lack of a dense network of charging infrastructure is a major barrier to the growth of the plug-in electric vehicle market. Electric vehicle drivers value public charging availability since, among other benefits, it reduces range anxiety. This talk introduces drivers’ willingness to pay functions for public charging infrastructure availability, conditional on electric vehicle type and range, annual travel mileage, energy prices, vehicle efficiency, and household income. At the same time, public charging deployment creates investment opportunities for station operators and electric utilities. Hence, in the last part of this talk, operating costs for fast charging stations are estimated, leveraging utility rates data across the United States. Cost mitigation technologies, such as solar panels and energy storage, are also identified.

Eleftheria Kontou is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Enviornmental Engineering Department at University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. Her research interests include transportation planning, electrification and emerging vehicle technologies operations, as well as transportation and energy sectors interdependencies.