Optimal lane expansion model for electric vehicle transportation networks with bounded rational travelers

Abstract With governments worldwide emphasizing environmental protection and the global focus on carbon reduction, the battery electric vehicle (BEV) industry has developed rapidly. Urban transportation network with BEVs as the main form of transportation will soon be formed. Thus, we investigate a BEV transportation network design problem, and a lane expansion model is established. The abovementioned model aims to minimize the system travel time of BEV transportation networks and optimize government lane expansion schemes under limited budgets. To consider the travel characteristics of BEV drivers, range anxiety and bounded rationality factors are simultaneously incorporated into the model framework. A heuristic algorithm is designed based on the active set algorithm to obtain the local optimal solution of the actual scale problem. Moreover, a column generation technique is embedded in the abovementioned algorithm to avoid the enumeration of paths. Sensitivity analyses of different levels of rationality and government investment scales are performed. The experimental results demonstrate that the abovementioned model and algorithm effectively solve the considered problem and provide decision support for the government in formulating transportation planning policies.JEL Code: C61; D58; H54; R42; R53