Solar-aligned demand management in hybrid renewable EV charging stations: a four-system techno-economic analysis for Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

The rapid growth of battery-powered electric vehicles in South Asia has increased unplanned grid charging, which has created an urgent need for dedicated EV charging infrastructure. Our study site is Cox's Bazar, which is a city on Bangladesh's south-eastern coast, is known for its rich solar and wind energy resources. Our proposed charging station is designed to meet a daily demand of around thirty electric rickshaws and three-wheelers per day. This study also presents a techno-economic analysis of an initially designed hybrid system, then a load-shifted system which uses solar aligned demand-side management on the same hardware, a renewable-only system, and a diesel-only system. The analysis is done using economic metrics including Net Present Cost (NPC), Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR), along with technical metrics such as Loss of Power Supply Probability (LPSP) and renewable fraction, and environmental metrics including CO₂ emission reduction and carbon penalty costs. Results show that the load-shifted system achieves the best overall performance. It delivers the lowest NPC and emission-adjusted LCOE, the highest BCR and IRR, and an improved renewable fraction. This result presents an environmentally friendly and economical model for EV charging infrastructure in Bangladesh and other South Asian regions.