A habit persistence model of multiple discrete/continuous demand for evaluating charging behaviour of Australian electric vehicle owners

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel habit persistence model of discrete/continuous demand that allows the joint evaluation of the spatial (i.e., location) and temporal (i.e., time of day) dimensions of the charging decision-making process. The model’s habit persistence structure further captures established recharging routines that influence both when and where charging occurs. The proposed model is applied to data capturing weekly charging activities collected using an online survey disseminated to a sample of EV owners recruited from across Australia between February and March 2024. Results show that charging at home is the most prevalent behaviour, with a strong tendency towards daytime charging largely driven by households with access to residential solar panels. Workplace charging emerges as a viable alternative to home charging when employers provide free charging and commuting frequency is high. The model also reveals the presence of state dependencies in charging behaviour, indicating that past choices are likely to influence current charging patterns. The empirical findings are subsequently used to demonstrate how changes in electricity prices can shift charging demand and impact grid load, corroborating the importance of targeted policy interventions to manage the growing energy demand for EVs.