Electricity demand assessment and charging infrastructure planning for long-haul electric vehicle operations in Ontario, Canada

As Canada advances toward its target of zero-emission heavy commercial vehicle sales by 2040, the success of long-haul electric vehicle (LHEV) adoption will depend on the availability of well-placed, high-capacity public charging infrastructure. This study evaluates how two critical real-world constraints, namely daily utilization time and site space capacity, affect the optimal design of Ontario's future on-route charging network by simulating a total of 63 scenarios. The results show that modest utilization thresholds (e.g., 8 h per day) can reduce the number of required stations by up to 20 % with minimal impact on service coverage. In contrast, restricted space capacity leads to steep declines in the number of supported trips unless more locations are added. When both constraints are applied together, their impacts are largely additive, increasing the need for infrastructure expansion while shifting grid demand across space and time. The study highlights the need to align transportation and electricity infrastructure planning, prioritize high-demand freight corridors, and support regulatory frameworks that promote efficient, high-utilization, and grid-resilient charging solutions.