Technological Institute,
Room M235
2145 Sheridan Road
Evanston, Illinois 60208
Phone: 847-491-2415
Fax: 847-491-8005

Email: dolira[at]northwestern.edu

Electric Vehicle Navigation

Planning a trip with an electric vehicle requires consideration of both battery dynamics and the availability of charging infrastructure. Recharging costs for an electric vehicle, which increase as the battery's charge level increases, are fundamentally different than refueling costs for conventional vehicles, which do not depend on the amount of fuel already in the tank. In addition, battery longevity is prolonged by recharging less frequently and at slower rates, and also by not charging the battery too close to its maximum capacity. Furthermore, the viability of any given route is sensitive to the availability of charging stations along the way. In this work, we study the problems finding an optimal recharging policy for an electric vehicle along a given path, and finding an optimal routing and recharging policy for an electric vehicle in a network. We develop and analyze a variety of models and solution methods depending on the amount and timing of information available to the EV driver while traveling.

Joint work with Timothy Sweda and Diego Klabjan.