Review of recent trends in charging infrastructure planning for electric vehicles

The exhaustive nature of fossil fuels and environmental concerns associated with greenhouse gases are the major causes of the paradigm shift from conventional vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). The electrification of the transportation sector and the increasing popularity of the EVs have driven scientists and researchers to delve into charging stations. Underdeveloped charging infrastructure, optimal placement of charging stations, and charge scheduling in the charging stations are the major concerns for the large-scale deployment of EVs. Even few questions related to EVs, such as the vehicle price and driving range, can be partially solved with a well-developed charging infrastructure. Existing old infrastructure may bring severe limitations in the realization of the optimal placement of charging stations as EVs have not existed when the road and grid infrastructure have been developed. For the past few years, the studies associated with the optimal placement and sizing of EV charging stations have drawn the consideration of the researchers. The researchers have used different approaches, objective functions, and applied different optimization algorithms while dealing with the problem of charging station placement. The complex and dynamic nature of the problem has led researchers to apply different optimization algorithms for the solution of the problem. In this particular review study, the research works bearing on the charging infrastructure planning for the EVs are considered. Thus, this review work will endow the research community with the latest developments and research findings in the paradigm of charging infrastructure planning for EVs. This article is categorized under: Energy Infrastructure > Systems and Infrastructure Energy and Urban Design > Systems and Infrastructure Energy and Transport > Science and Materials Energy Systems Analysis > Science and Materials