A Demand Factor Analysis for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

Abstract

This paper investigates the factors influencing the power consumption of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and develops a methodology for determining the design electrical loads of EV charging stations (EVCSs). A comprehensive review of existing research on demand factor (DF) calculations for EVCSs is presented, highlighting discrepancies in current approaches and identifying key influencing factors. To address these gaps, a simulation model was developed in Python 3.11.9, generating minute-by-minute power consumption profiles based on EVCS parameters, EV fleet characteristics, and charging behavior patterns. In contrast with state-of-the-art methods that often provide limited reference values or scenario-specific analyses, this study quantifies the influence of key factors and demonstrates that the average number of daily charging sessions, EVCS power rating, and the number of charging ports are the most significant determinants of DF. For instance, increasing the number of sessions from 0.5 to 4 per day raises DF by 2.4 times, while higher EVCS power ratings reduce DF by 32–56%. This study proposes a practical generalized algorithm for calculating DF homogeneous and heterogeneous EVCS groups. The proposed model demonstrates superior accuracy (MAPE = 6.01%, R2 = 0.987) compared with existing SOTA approaches, which, when applied to our dataset, yielded significantly higher errors (MAPE of 50.36–67.72%). The derived expressions enable efficient planning of distribution networks, minimizing overestimation of design loads and associated infrastructure costs. This work contributes to the field by quantifying the impact of behavioral and technical factors on EVCS power consumption, offering a robust tool for grid planners and policymakers to optimize EV charging infrastructure deployment.