Improving EV charging across Australia

UX Research
UX Design
UI Design
Context
Right now we are still in the early stages of implementing EV charging stations across the country. And with that, there’s still a lot to be desired with charge locations and EV drivers who experience all usability and logistical problems.

Problem statement

EV owners don’t feel confident driving across Australia. They experience range anxiety, in driving long distances with the lack of charging stations.

Drivers aren’t satisfied with the information and what’s offered inside current apps, which is inconsistent or outdated. It’s frustrating, impactful and confusing for EV owners.

Solution

Providing EV users with more confidence and the right information, with charging their car and navigating on Australian roads. This was done by creating a new app that addressed all the user pain points.

the process

Competitor Analysis - Apps
‍To evaluate their key flows, features and types of information.

Preparing for unmoderated and moderated interviews
‍Generating statements of consent, interview agenda items, script and prioritising high quality questions to ask in the interviews and surveys.

2 different surveys through Jotform.com
‍Based on current app usability and satisfaction levels.
Expanding on more details around pain points at charging locations.

One to One interviews
‍2 personas - Hybrid and full EV owners.
Which proved useful in uncovering different beliefs and some misconceptions.

Gathering data
‍Insights were put into affinity maps and categorised further into sub topics:

  • EV types
  • Lack of awareness for hybrid vehicles with some EV owners
  • Car purchase motivations
  • Political and environmental concerns
  • Pain points and emotions
  • Current charging methods - at home, public use

Emerging themes and key insights

  • Emotions - Anxiety, nervousness
  • Poor charging conditions - faults, delays, inadequate conveniences, even interpersonal conflicts
  • Geography - Severe range limitations
  • App usability pain points, poor communication with charge bay conditions, availability
  • Multiple apps needed for different tasks
Summarising EV owners
Environmentally conscious
Pro-active and hard working people.
Intelligent and resourceful, who value their free time.

Key touch points from the customer journey map

Planning
Driving on-route
Charging
Paying

4 design principles

Discoverability
Efficiency
Explorability
Responsive feedback

5 ‘How might we?’ questions

1. How might we allow EV drivers to plan their routes efficiently, without experiencing detours or range anxiety?
2. How might we surface relevant battery charging & important recharge station info to drivers while driving?
3. How might we improve satisfaction and experience while arriving, using, departing from EV charge points?
4. HMW inform EV drivers of charge bay updates or new critical information related to charging stations?
5. HMW better improve charging experiences, EV drivers & energy providers alike, to better enable EV’s across Australia?
Ideation outcomes
  • A design for auto-detect detour notifications
  • Showing automated idle charge fees
Prioritising using ‘Effort VS Value’
‍Luckily, most feedback on displaying information upfront was considered high value and fast to implement.
Card sorting for parent and child features
User flow map
‍Each key journey was colour coded in green as an identifiable way point amongst all the elements, and then consolidated back together.
Rapid wireframes
Moderated test insights
Users wanted some usability improvements such as upfront information on idle charges, when planning, notifications around invoicing and confirmations around required detour routes.
Users enjoyed seeing the “Time remaining for charge ports in use” upfront and was very well received.
Users loved seeing amenities upfront. Access to bathrooms, food and seeking sheltered charging bays during bad weather is important to them.
Responsive feedback
Unmoderated SEQ survey

Concept - showing vertically stacked navigation

Concept - showing vertically stacked navigation

Concept - showing vertically stacked navigation

what else we learned
Many EV drivers are quite tech savvy. They understand and appreciate good accessibility in using apps.

EV owners underestimate other types of charging stations available besides Tesla network.

Hybrid EV owners aren’t fully aware of fully electric vehicles.

Many hybrid and full EV owners care deeply about natural environment conservation, sustainable futures and financial efficiencies.