Electric vehicle infrastructure design, optimization, and emission evaluations toward a full-scale net-zero transportation sector

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Transportation accounts for around 25% of Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Electric Vehicles (EV) and cleaner fuels are key to decarbonizing our communities and society. However, the uneven and limited infrastructure is one major roadblock. Less than 6% of electric chargers are in the Prairie region which makes EVs problematic for long trips. Furthermore, although Canada sets the mandatory target for passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035, charging queuing and cold weather are major concerns for urban EV trips. Such growing challenges are critical reasons that EVs still make up fewer than 5% of Canadian passenger vehicles.This research aims to create knowledge and methods for urban and national EV network designs, infrastructure optimization and GHG emission evaluations that develop smooth EV travel solutions toward full-scale adoption and form rapid zero-emission transitions. Our objectives are 1) to model EV user charging behaviors and examine their impacts on energy consumption and GHG emissions; 2) to create novel urban charging network algorithms integrating user preferences and minimizing GHG at partial- and full-scale EV adoption; 3) to identify vulnerable national links and optimize accessibility for cross-city and -province EV trips with multi-objective optimizations including time, emission and charging frequency. 4) to quantify the dynamics of GHG emissions and vehicle travels under the proposed EV infrastructure and network strategies.The research team of emerging and established scholars with diverse expertise in transport, smart grid, operation research and renewable energy, will pioneer theory fundamentals and large applications for EV infrastructure reducing GHG emissions. The project is also in partnership with key sector partners such as municipalities, energy providers, and leading consulting firms across Canada for data access, case studies and applications. The research covering all fundamental EV mobility and networks (urban, remote and national trips) will provide complete scenarios through data integration, knowledge creation and real-world cases driving down transport emissions and achieving Canada's climate change and net-zero emission commitments.