Optimal locations for new EV charging stations in BC parks

For my final project, I chose to investigate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in BC. My interest for this project comes from my parents’ recent purchase of an EV. Our family is very into camping and long roadtrips over the summer, and I’ve been curious as to whether this is actually feasible yet in an EV. From the results of this project, it seems like it is! At least in the Kootenay-Okanagan region of BC.

I wanted to apply my knowledge from this GIS course and previous courses to investigate this subject. The goal of this project was to determine the top 10 provincial and national parks in the Kootenay-Okanagan region that would be the best sites for new EV charging stations. Learn more about the background of the project and study area here.

I began my work by conducting a literature review, to assess what other methods have already been used in scholarly research to determine the optimal locations for EV charging locations.

The data used in this project was sourced from DataBC, BC Parks, Parks Canada, and Plugshare.

My methodology was based in a Multi-Criteria Evaluation and employed the kernel density mapping technique. I also used tools such as 123AHP, ArcMap, and Plugshare to support my analysis.

The results from this project showed that the top 10 sites are as follows:

The other final Maps & Figures summarize the methodology and final results.

Overall, this project was a successful application of the GIS analysis techniques that I have learned during this course and from previous courses.