Increasing Electric Vehicle Charger Availability with a Mobile, Self-Contained Charging Station

As the transition to sustainable transportation has accelerated with the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), ensuring drivers have access to charging to maximize the electric miles driven is critical to lowering carbon emissions in the transportation sector. Limited charging station capacity and poor reliability, especially during peak travel times, long-distance travels, holidays, and events, have hindered the adoption of EVs and threaten the progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Adaptive, flexible deployment strategies combined with innovative approaches integrating mobility and renewable energy are essential to address these systemic challenges and bridge the current infrastructure gap. To address these challenges, this study proposes a self-contained, mobile charging station (MCS). Designed for rapid deployment, the proposed MCS increases charging capacity during demand surges while minimizing reliance on fossil fuels. The feasibility of integrating a solar canopy with this MCS to further reduce carbon emissions is also studied. This study weighed the pros and cons of differing cell chemistries, sized the battery using data provided by the United States’ largest public CPO, and discussed the feasibility of a solar canopy for off-grid energy.