Differences in spatial patterns of inter-city travel from the perspective of traffic networks: New energy vehicles versus fuel vehicles

Investigating the spatial pattern differences in inter-city travel between new energy vehicles (NEVs) and conventional fuel vehicles (FVs) is essential to evaluate the progress of NEV adoption and inform policy-making for transportation decarbonization. To distinguish NEVs from FVs and overcome the limited research on their differences, we used big data from an expressway online toll collection system to differentiate vehicle types based on license plate numbers. Through complex network analysis and random forest algorithms, we constructed separate NEV and FV networks and systematically compared their network topologies, high-frequency travel areas, and key contributing factors. The findings were: (1) In inter-city travel networks, NEVs emerged as significant competitors to FVs. Our analysis revealed an average travel volume ratio of 1:3.5 between NEVs and FVs, with spatial service radii concentrated within 40 km. Cities with airports and high-speed rail stations constituted primary hotspots for NEV adoption and potential transition zones for FV replacement. (2) NEV and FV networks exhibited a flower-shaped topological structure, where core cities constituted the “flower heart” and peripheral cities form “petals” via short-distance, high-frequency bidirectional connections. However, the NEV network, shaped by airport distribution and industrial development, deviated from the Guangzhou-Shenzhen dual-core configuration of FV network, establishing a distinct sub-core in Zhuhai. (3) Charging infrastructure deployment in service areas exhibited limited predictive importance for NEV inter-city travel volumes. Instead, NEV travel volumes were found to be strongly associated with the labor force expansion in the transportation sector, development of ride-hailing services, and reductions in overall travel costs.