Planning and establishment of battery swapping station - A support for faster electric vehicle adoption

Establishing Battery Swapping Station (BSS) is categorized as one of the means that can ignite faster adaptability of Electric Vehicles (EVs). For the lucrative performance of BSS, proper selection of an ideal location is crucial. This study uses the concept of the Fuzzy with Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method to plan the optimum location of BSS, and is also an innovative type of work done on Indian subcontinent as per the knowledge of authors. With reference from some existing research and literature, an evaluation system is established, and then different criteria from economic, technical, and social aspects are considered for site selection of BSS. The TFN (Triangular Fuzzy Number) has been used to overcome the uncertainty due to insufficient information. Then, using Fuzzy based TFN Method with consideration of the preference within the criteria; weights of the criteria are obtained. Further COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment of Alternatives) methodology is applied to rank the selected locations in Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA), India. This paper concludes that the cost-related criteria like payback period, land acquisition cost, and machinery purchasing cost dominate other criteria. The area under Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the Western part of North 24 Parganas rank higher than other selected locations; thus, they are suitable for establishing BSS within the KMA, India. The outcome of this paper becomes vital for stakeholders and planners to select the optimum location of BSS. The approached methodology in this paper can be used in any analogous research with the related objective.

Automated summary

This study uses fuzzy Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and COPRAS methods to determine the optimal location for Battery Swapping Stations (BSS). The results suggest that cost-related criteria dominate the selection process, and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area and the western part of North 24 Parganas are suitable for establishing BSS.