Facility Location Optimization in Charging Infrastructures for Fleet-Operated Electric Vehicles

Abstract

A change from combustion engines to electric drivetrains may offer a vision to allow for CO2-neutral growth in vehicle fleets at public and private sectors. Charging infrastructures that are both cost-effective and in line with the demand will play the key role in a successful change. This paper outlines a process for cost-optimized facility location planning of charging devices for fleet-operated vehicles and introduces a prototypical platform that can be used in real scenarios. First, a mathematical optimization model is developed which is then integrated into the Esri ArcGIS Geoinformation System. Both the process and the add-in are finally tested in a scenario of a major airport facing a change to electrical vehicles for parts of its ground services. This work illustrates, that methods from operations research combined with current technology of geoinformation systems give a valuable asset to the planning of charging infrastructures.