AI Tool to Identify Optimal EV Charger Locations - Built for the EU’s ERA-Net Smart Energy Systems Initiative

Electric vehicle chargers are expensive and should be deployed in places where they are most needed. This tool helps city planners and property owners identify the best spots and times for new EV chargers. It combines free map data and ‘busy-times’ stats to estimate hourly visits at every building. It then predicts how many of those visitors drive EVs and compares that to existing chargers within walking distance. The result is a clear map and schedule highlighting gaps where new chargers will be most effective.

As Electric Vehicle ownership grows, municipalities and developers need precise guidance on where to deploy chargers. Traditional methods lead to under- or over-investment.

We created an automated pipeline that: 1) Downloads building locations and popularity patterns from OpenStreetMap and Google Places. 2) Estimates hourly visitor counts and infers EV arrivals from adoption data. 3) Buffers each charger by a 400 m walking radius and assigns real-world capacity profiles. 4) Produces clear heatmaps and hour-by-hour charts showing exactly where and when demand exceeds supply.

In Lindau (Bodensee), Bavaria, our system found full charger coverage before 8 AM but critical shortfalls during lunch and evening peaks. A second-city test confirmed demand estimates with 65 percent accuracy. This gives planners the confidence to target investments where they matter most.