In a state like Florida, which is prone to hurricanes and other extreme weather events, electric vehicles—and the public charging services that power and sustain them—are becoming increasingly important.

A study from the University of Florida's College of Design, Construction and Planning, which was published mid-hurricane season in the Journal of Management in Engineering, highlights the urgent need to bolster the resilience of these services.

During emergencies marked by high winds and flooding, the interconnected challenges of supply and demand become more pronounced. Electric vehicle charging services face significant challenges at these times due to infrastructure damages and restricted access.

The ability of the services to withstand disruptions depends on the physical and socioeconomic characteristics of the area and how the charging stations are networked within communities. UF researchers are looking for innovative ways to combat these issues.

"The principal takeaway from this study is the critical role of proactive and dynamic planning in deploying electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, especially in areas prone to extreme weather such as hurricanes," said Yan Wang, Ph.D., one of the study's lead researchers and the director of UF's Urban Agility and Resilience Lab at the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience.

"Employing advanced modeling techniques and exploring counterfactual scenarios can significantly enhance our understanding of potential impacts on EV charging networks, leading to better preparedness strategies that emphasize infrastructure resilience and equitable access."

To this end, Wang has been collaborating with Ruth Steiner, Ph.D., a professor in UF's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and doctoral candidate Ziyi Guo, to study the aftereffects of Hurricane Ian on the Tampa Bay area.

The team introduced a novel approach to ensuring that the future infrastructure of electric vehicle charging services can sustain, respond to, and recover from disruptions caused by environmental shocks like Ian.

"The study found that stations that are part of a well-connected network and those with higher user access diversity tend to recover more quickly and maintain service during extreme weather and climate events," Wang said.

The study also uncovered inequities in charging access, particularly among older and lower-income populations, which are disproportionately affected during these weather events.

"It is not just the neighborhoods that have access to the EV charging services that are at risk but the surrounding rural areas as well," Guo said. "For instance, if you live out in the country, you might be totally remote from the flooding, but you're still influenced indirectly because the nearest charging station is out of order."

To anticipate future challenges like these, the researchers developed a counterfactual analytical framework using a multi-agent-based model, which simulates the impact of worst-case hurricane scenarios and provides valuable data for proactive infrastructure planning.

"Our current study built upon previous findings, noting that the uneven distribution of charging infrastructure not only impedes broad EV adoption but also exacerbates social inequities," Wang said. "It points to the necessity for an equitable planning approach that ensures all communities, particularly the most vulnerable, benefit from the transition to electric mobility."

Coastal communities in Florida may benefit from adopting these types of anticipatory planning frameworks that integrate scenario planning and data-driven insights. This approach aims to boost the resilience of charging infrastructure against hurricanes by considering both the physical robustness of charging stations and the behavioral patterns of users during emergencies.

Researchers are also setting their sights on examining the effects of extreme weather events on electric vehicle charging services closer to home, such as on the UF campus. The model the researchers used for the initial study can be adjusted to address concerns in different cities, including Gainesville.

"Suppose we want to know how Gainesville will be prepared for future scenarios of hurricanes, climate change, and flooding," Guo said. "With all this information, we will be able to quickly predict and suggest improvements to all local resilience structures."

The methodology developed in this recent research is quite versatile, according to Steiner.

"It can be applied in a variety of contexts that go beyond measuring the resilience of electric vehicle charging systems during extreme weather events," Steiner said. "It can be used to measure the equity and resilience of infrastructure systems throughout a region."

More information: Ziyi Guo et al, When Climate Mitigation Meets the Needs of Adaptation: Closing the Resilience Gap for EV Charging Services in Hurricane-Prone Areas, Journal of Management in Engineering (2024). DOI: 10.1061/JMENEA.MEENG-5922