Strategic Placement of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Sustainable Mobility in Maharashtra

Abstract

India is committed to reduce its carbon footprints massively by undertaking several projects. Central to this endeavor is the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 which promotes adoption of electric vehicles and aims at forming a blueprint for electric vehicle infrastructure. But the biggest hurdle for a seamless transition into a more sustainable future is the placement of charging stations country wide. Unlike petroleum-based stations, current electric vehicle charging infrastructure is not so widespread. The objective of this study is to analyze and predict the optimal location for placement of electric vehicle chargers within the expansive state of Maharashtra. These locations are affected by several factors such as poor connectivity, poor power network distribution etc. The proposed solution uses a dual-method approach, giving consideration to a multitude of factors that impact these locations, thereby, to enhance precision of our prediction. A greedy algorithm is applied to process and evaluate the critical data. The evaluation obtained provides a foundation upon which further analysis is done by applying the Steiner Tree method. Through rigorous analysis we predict the optimal number of electric vehicle chargers in each district of Maharashtra. Our predictions align harmoniously with what would conventionally be considered accurate according to the real-world requirements. This study lays the foundation for future strategic blueprints for development of electric vehicle infrastructure in India which plays a pivotal step in a more sustainable future.