A comprehensive framework for electric vehicle charging station siting along highways using weighted sum method

The proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) has led to an increased demand for strategically located EV charging stations (EVCSs) to ensure a balanced and accessible charging network. The siting of EVCS involves a multifaceted process that includes technological, economic, social, geographical, and environmental factors. An EVCS network should deliver high-quality service, alleviate drivers' range anxiety, and be compatible with renewable energy system integration, while also accounting for technical infrastructure and future expansion expectations. Resting areas along highways, equipped with amenities and grid connections, emerge as potential sites for EVCS installation. Accordingly, this study presents an EVCS siting framework along highways, integrating expert opinions from diverse disciplines. The proposed method employs expert opinions to weigh site selection criteria and then uses a clustering-based approach to identify suitable locations for EVCS siting, utilizing the weighted sum method. According to the experts, the most important criterion is determined as the service level of the candidate point with a weight of 0.375, followed by traffic density (0.218), and proximity to connection roads (0.215). The method is tested both on a test highway and the Edirne-Ankara highway, which is the most heavily used in Türkiye. The results demonstrate that the test highway identifies 13 out of 18 optimal locations using the clustering strategy. Similarly, the siting method identifies 18 out of 31 optimal EVCS locations along the Edirne-Ankara highway ensuring the distance constraints. This approach is scalable and adaptable for application on highways in various countries where EVCS infrastructure is still developing.