Electric Vehicles and their Effect on Network Load

Abstract: The composition of the fleet of road cars is changing from fuel powered cars to plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electrical vehicles (EV). The (electrical) range of these vehicles is limited, leading to so called `range anxiety'. Firstly, this leads to a preference of shorter routes. Secondly, (PH)EVs have the ability to regenerate energy from braking, which make routes with many accerelations and decelerations not as unattractive for drivers of (PH)EVs as for drivers of vehicles with an internal combustion engine (ICE). This paper combines this, and adds drivers might prefer a lower speed limit due to a lower energy consumption. These elements are compared to with road characteristics. It is found, motorways are usually less favourable for drivers of (PH)EVs compared to drivers of ICE vehicles, and they will prefer the shorter routes on secondary roads or through towns. This will influence the use of the underlying road network, and thereby affecting congestion, emissions and safety. This shift towards the underlying road network needs to be taken into account in designs for the network.