Abstract Manager

Climate change remains an urgent global challenge, with significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions coming from multiple sectors. In Ontario, the transportation sector is a notable emitter, contributing 32% to the province's total emissions as of 2020. To align with Canada's Net Zero Emissions by 2050 target, a transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) is underway, supported by policies like a 100% ZEV sales target by 2035. This shift is facilitated by incentives for ZEV purchases and substantial investments in domestic EV manufacturing, alongside the development of a comprehensive EV charging network. 

Our study delves into the planning for the expansion of EV charging infrastructure. Collaborating with Arup, we have developed an interactive tool with various following features. It maps existing EV charging stations, enabling planners to filter them based on various features, including charger type (Level 2 or fast chargers), public or private access, connector type, payment requirements, availability, and planned expansion. This tool enables planners to enhance the network by introducing new charging stations with designated features and assesses their strategic placement based on proximity to local points of interest. Additionally, the tool includes an assessment framework for the reliability and connectivity of the charging network, identifying stations at risk of service disruption due to isolation from other stations within a certain radius. 

The most important feature of this tool is where the planners can interactively define and evaluate key influencing factors to find the number of charging stations required to be installed in each ward. These factors include the percentage of “garage orphans”, the average daily distance traveled by vehicles, vehicle mileage based on their batteries, charging rates of Level 2 and DC charger, length of work and leisure trips. Using Origin-Destination matrix from Toronto's Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS) data, the tool models optimal charger allocation to minimize costs while assuming that EV owners use Level2 and DC chargers at the destination of their work and leisure trips respectively.  

This tool equips policymakers with a dynamic platform for informed decision-making, facilitating the strategic advancement of EV infrastructure and enabling comprehensive analysis of charging patterns within urban settings.