Demand for Green Refueling Infrastructure

Despite increasing public investment in charging infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), policymakers know little about drivers' preferences for publicly-accessible charging stations. Using data from an innovative choice experiment, we estimate demand for PEV charging stations, characterizing willingness to pay for access to types of locations as well as driver tradeoffs between refueling duration and costs. Prospective PEV drivers are willing to pay the actual variable cost of recharging at public charging stations and are willing to pay to cover significant fixed costs at select locations. Not surprisingly, many prospective drivers reveal a positive willingness to accept to wait while refueling, but this varies greatly across latent classes.