Collaborative Routing and Charging/Discharging Scheduling of Electric Autonomous Vehicles in Coupled Power-Traffic Networks: A Multiobjective Approach

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are vehicles that traverse on the road without active human intervention. With a coordinator, AVs can be connected to provide high-efficiency transport services, such as AV-based public transport networks. The controller can manage the network by coordinating the transport request assignment, traveling, and charging/discharging schedule. On the other hand, AVs are likely to be electric and benefit the smart grid via vehicle-to-grid technology. A well-designed mobility network connecting electric AVs (EAVs) and smart grid can substantially reduce unnecessary travel and energy costs. In this article, we aim to maximize utilities in the AV-based public transport network and the power distribution network for the vehicle network containing EAVs, charging stations, and distributed power generations. We formulate the assignment and scheduling problem as a multiobjective mixed-integer program (MIP). To solve the optimization problem, we develop a hybrid heuristic approach based on nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) and branch-and-bound (BnB) algorithms. Experiments are conducted on a modified 15-bus distribution system and a simulated traffic network. The results show that the proposed strategy effectively minimizes the total travel and energy purchase cost by 21%. This study provides valuable insights on vehicle coordination for multiple tasks, offering visionary guidance for stakeholders engaged in multifaceted transportation endeavors.