Research on the demand and layout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure - taking Shenzhen, China as an example

Large scale adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) call for development of charging infrastructure. The research object of this study is the EV charging infrastructure in Shenzhen, China. The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis methods to design a questionnaire to collect first-hand data on the charging demand and preferences of consumers of EV charging stations in Shenzhen. 270 valid responses are obtained. Fifteen hypotheses are proposed for the external influencing factors of demand and consumer preferences, the endogenous relationships between variables, and the comprehensive evaluation method of layout. Research finding has shown that efficiency, user experience, and environmental friendliness have a significant positive impact on the demand for charging stations, while convenience has a significant positive impact on consumer preferences. Efficiency, convenience, user experience, and environmental friendliness are positively correlated with each other, and improvements to these four factors have a positive impact on the satisfaction of charging stations.