TRC is working with Xcel Energy in Minnesota to assess its pilot evaluations for electric vehicle charging infrastructure pilot programs, for both fleet and public customer markets. Findings from these studies will help support the growth of EV adoption in the state and inform future charging planning to better support both prospective and current EV owners.
Pilot Goals
Xcel Energy provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states, including Minnesota. The utility selected TRC to design and implement evaluation research for electric vehicle (EV) fleet and public charging pilots in Minnesota, to help assess opportunities for future program deployment. The evaluation focuses on stakeholder experiences with the installation of EV charging infrastructure, decision-making of fleet managers, and the impact of the pilot programs on EV awareness and perception.
Methodologies: Market Research, Interviews and Surveys
TRC developed a two-phased approach to pilot evaluation. During the first year, TRC developed an understanding of public fleets, charging providers, and MN car drivers to inform the pilots’ rollouts. In the pilots’ second year, TRC focused on participant and non-participant research, to understand barriers and motivations to participation.
For the Fleet pilot, TRC conducted in-depth interviews with fleet managers and sustainability experts from Minnesota municipalities, state agencies, and regional transit operators to understand awareness and perception of EV and charging technologies, plans for future adoption, and how the pilot infrastructure offering would influence vehicle purchase decisions.
For the Public Charging pilot, TRC conducted a survey sampling both EV and non-EV drivers to understand general EV perception and purchase intention, and how public charging access influences EV adoption plans. This survey data will serve as a baseline to assess impacts of the pilot over time. TRC also interviewed EV charging providers, project partners, and potential site hosts to assess the pilot offering’s ability to increase investments in public charging.
Data Visualization
For both pilots, TRC built dynamic dashboards to visualize EV charging meter data, enabling greater understanding of EV load shapes, customer response to time-of-use rates, and growth in charging utilization over time.
Results
Initial findings from the first year of this project have helped identify potential opportunities to expand enrollments in the Fleet charging pilot. The Public Charging pilot evaluation has developed key survey metrics to track the influence and future growth of the EV market in Minnesota, and insights to support future charging planning to better serve both prospective and current EV owners.
Client
Xcel Energy
Project Location
Minnesota