Suggested Citation:
Nicholas, Michael A. and Gil Tal (2015) Charging for Charging at Work: Increasing the Availability of Charging Through Pricing. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Journal Article UCD-ITS-RP-15-38

A survey of plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) owners was conducted focusing on workplace charging suggesting that pricing could increase the availability of charging by excluding those who could charge at home. Respondents reported that in California, 38% of drivers who have chargers at work are unable to charge at least once per week due to congestion at chargers. When asked about price, answers indicated that 4 chargers would be needed for every 10 vehicles if free, versus 1 charger for every 10 vehicles if the price were double that of home electricity (assuming 1 charger serves 2 cars/day). Since double the price of home electricity is still likely to save money, the implication is that people are using free workplace infrastructure 4 times more than they need to. This usage pattern suggests that simply charging a small fee could encourage more efficient use of infrastructure.

From the Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting Proceedings.