A multi-criteria decision-making approach for a statewide deployment of dynamic wireless charging for electric vehicles

Dynamic Wireless Charging (DWC) technology can provide an innovative charging solution that can overcome the barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption, namely range anxiety and charging time. To effectively implement this technology, dynamic charging lanes should be strategically located along the road network. This paper proposes a multi-criteria decision-making approach for the deployment of DWC on a road freight transportation network, since trucks are likely to be the first adopters of DWC technology. The proposed methodology involves calculating a suitability index for each candidate link based on four categories of location criteria: demand-related, cost-related, EV-related, and other criteria. Equal weights are assumed for each criterion in the base case, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted to assess the effect of changing the weights of the criteria. It was found that the most suitable locations for DWC lanes are on interstates that are characterized by high truck traffic. Furthermore, the most suitable locations are near airports and ports and away from EV charging stations. Meanwhile, the most suitable locations are not strongly affected by distance from intermodal facilities, military bases, planned construction/preservation projects, and floodplains. This is the first study that provides a comprehensive list of all the location criteria and corresponding values as reported in the literature. The proposed approach is transferable to other locations and can assist transportation agencies to identify the most suitable locations for DWC lanes.