PEV-charging in rural and business environments. A user behaviour and demand comparison

In order to accelerate the further development of electromobility and to achieve a demand-based, user-friendly charging infrastructure, profound studies on the EV user behaviour and needs are still necessary. To fill this gap, the research consortium Fraunhofer IAO and IAT University of Stuttgart combined the approaches of classical data mining with sociological research methods in order to achieve a holistic view on the actual situation and therefore to receive profound answers: On the one hand, typical charging behaviour patterns of PEV users in rural and business environments have been derived by analysing more than 15,000 charging events. Load profiles of specific charging locations in public and semi-public places were obtained in order to serve as rough sizing guidelines for future charging infrastructure. On the other hand, more than 130 regular EV users have been questioned by means of standardised surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. The questioning aimed to capture the participants' perception regarding the usage of electric vehicles and the existing charging infrastructure in public places. By matching both user behaviour and demand, detailed recommendations for political and economic actions can be provided. Therefore, attractiveness and cost efficiency of public charging infrastructure can be increased, which encourage further development of e-mobility. In the following, the paper presents the combined interpretation of the results from the classical data analysis of PEV-charging events and those of the sociological research work.