What factors affect the development of public charging infrastructures? a study from the perspective of potential users

The rapid development of the electric vehicle market has greatly stimulated the demand for public charging infrastructure (PCI) and made it a pertinent topic to improve its charging service quality in the industry. Data from perceived preference, PCI and electric vehicles cannot reflect the factors influencing potential users’ anxiety. This study designed a PCI development evaluation framework to investigate the impact of economic, technological, market, policy, and social environmental factors on PCI development from the perspective of potential users. We collected a dataset including 386 potential users in Tianjin, China, and employed structural equation model to survey the implementation of PCI. The following conclusions were drawn from this study: 1) Reducing operating costs will not significantly increase PCI charging user demand and improve use efficiency for potential users; 2) Technical factors cannot directly promote the development of PCI but will reverse lag the development of the market; 3) The growing market demand is the main impetus to the development of electric vehicle industry, and the incentive policy and social environment can indirectly incentivize PCI development. The policy implications suggest that the PCI industry can experience sustainable development by continuously innovating market-oriented business models, and improving policy systems and industry mechanisms. This study provides analytical foundation and decision support for policymakers and pertinent industry participants, promotes the development of electric vehicle-related industries, and helps achieve the strategic goal of carbon neutrality.