Dynamic Fee Setting for Electric Vehicle Zone Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Car-sharing systems face challenges in managing uneven distributions of vehicles and power storage levels across locations, particularly with electric vehicles requiring longer charging times, leading to inefficiencies in vehicle utilization.
Innovation Solution
A fee setting device and method that calculates and adjusts utilization fees based on the power storage levels and locations of electric vehicles, encouraging movement to zones with lower power storage levels and promoting efficient distribution by discounting fees for returning vehicles with higher power levels or returning them to zones with insufficient vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If users return vehicles to different locations to resolve uneven distribution, then vehicle distribution balance improves, but charging time increases due to longer distances to charging stations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the utilization fee parameter based on the power storage levels in different zones. By adjusting fee structures, users are incentivized to return vehicles to zones with lower power levels, thereby balancing power distribution across zones without requiring long-distance trips to charging stations
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring power storage levels in real-time across different zones and adjusting utilization fees accordingly. This closed-loop control enables the system to respond to changing power distribution conditions and guide vehicle returns to maintain balance
2Ease of operation
If electric vehicles are parked in zones with high power storage levels, then charging availability improves, but power distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts utilization fees based on power storage levels in different zones. When a zone has high power storage levels, the fee for returning vehicles to that zone is increased, incentivizing users to return vehicles to zones with lower power levels. This maintains power distribution uniformity while ensuring charging availability through fee-based guidance
3Quantity of substance
If utilization fees are set high to maximize revenue, then operator profit improves, but vehicle return rate to understocked zones deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes utilization fees based on real-time vehicle and power distribution conditions across zones. Instead of setting fixed high fees, the system adjusts fees to reflect zone-specific needs, incentivizing vehicle returns to understocked zones while maximizing overall revenue through optimized pricing
Data Source
AI summary
When a process of returning a vehicle is performed, a fee setting device identifies a zone where the vehicle is returned, and calculates the identified zone's zone SOC. The fee setting device determines whether a discount for leveling is applicable. The fee setting device compares a zone SOC of a zone where a user rented a vehicle and a zone SOC of a zone where the user returned the vehicle. When the zone SOC of the zone where the user rented the vehicle is larger than the zone SOC of the zone where the user returned the vehicle, the discount for leveling is applied.