Incorporating Credit Mechanism for Joint Pricing and Charging Optimization for an Electric Taxi Charging System

Abstract

In recent years, research on electric vehicles has gained significant momentum driven by the growing emphasis on low-carbon mobility. Despite this progress, the specific challenges faced by electric taxis (ETs) as a vital component of sustainable urban transport have received limited attention. This study formulates a joint optimization problem to determine optimal pricing for charging stations (CSs) while guiding plug-in pure electric taxi (PPET) drivers toward the most profitable charging options. The proposed model aims to maximize the overall utility of CSs under cooperative relationships and provide the optimal charging strategy for ETs. To guarantee that the behaviors of both CS and ET drivers do not interfere with the smooth operation of the system, we incorporate a credit mechanism. We propose an algorithm to simultaneously optimize charging prices at each CS and charging selections for ET drivers. Additionally, we present a comprehensive framework for the credit system, detailing its reward and penalty effect. To validate the efficacy of our pricing optimization system and credit mechanisms, comparative experiments are conducted. The results demonstrate the system's advantages and confirm the credit mechanisms' crucial role in maintaining system integrity and promoting good behavior. As a further testament to our approach's practicality, we conducted a case study in Singapore, verifying the system's performance in a real-world context.