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Understanding how EV drivers make decisions about charging I American Public Power ... Page 2 of 11 Fortunately, some pioneers and researchers are beginning to tease out answers. Even though EVs remain nascent in use, certain charging patterns are emerging. "We don't really even understand how people drive their conventional vehicles," said Jamie Dunckley, a data scientist at the Electric Power Research Institute, who has researched EV charging in partnership with about 35 utilities. "People drive their cars 5 percent of the day, and 95 percent of the time they are parked and could be charging." New phobia: Charge anxiety Initially, "range anxiety" — the concern of a driver about having fewer miles of charge on a battery than the distance to a charging station — served as an inhibitor to EV growth. But with more chargers now installed, range anxiety is giving way to a new fear, what Dunckley calls "charge anxiety." "You are confident that you can get to a station. But when you get there, will it be working? Will there be a big line? And is the network I'm part of(e.g., Blink, ChargePoint, EVgo) compatible with the network where I stop? Will I be able to pay?" she said. Tesla appears to be aware of this issue and prides itself on producing reliable charging stations where lines are short. As a result, the company's charging stations are receiving favorable reviews from customers, she said. But for people who don't own Teslas, "it's a smattering of different networks," Dunckley said. The business model for charging stations remains undeveloped, so a sizable number are run by startups that tend to "either flop or change their business model," she said. As a result, service stations fall into disrepair. No quick remedy exists. Having utilities own and operate the charging stations is one possibility. However, the investment in charging infrastructure requires first understanding the business case for the utility, when and where customers would want to charge, and any state rules or regulations regarding utility involvement in EV charging. "Each state, each utility is different. And if you think about long-distance driving, you are going to be crossing from one utility territory to another," said Dunckley. For now, charge anxiety might require time and market maturity to quell. https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/under standing-how-ev-drivers-make-decisi... 7/30/2018