Powering EV Adoption: The Crucial Role of UX

Our intrepid researchers embark on a EV Charging Service Safari

What we found

We set out on a ‘service safari’ to explore what it’s really like to charge an EV on British roads.

We chose three different locations around London to get a representative mix of charger types and experiences: a motorway service station, a supermarket, and a residential street with a kerbside charger.

What we found was a patchwork of providers providing equally patchy experiences. Some good (the supermarket charger had clear on-screen instructions), some bad (at the motorway service station we were prompted to download an app…which refused to take payment). And some simply didn’t work: neither of the kerbside chargers we tried were responsive, bringing our safari to a premature and unsatisfying end.

The fact that we were able to observe such stark differences within such a small sample indicates the scale of the challenge ahead of us.

Why it matters

As we’ve argued elsewhere, making Net Zero a reality hinges on UX because if green tech isn’t easy to use, consumers will be discouraged from adopting it. And the same applies to public chargers and EV adoption.

Because, despite what you might read online, the vehicles themselves have now progressed to such an extent that concerns about range – otherwise known as ‘range anxiety’ – are seemingly on the wane.

However, a new anxiety has appeared in its place: ‘charge anxiety’ (‘will the charger be available/high-speed/working/compatible with my car?’), reflecting EV drivers’ concerns about the highly variable nature of public charging stations.

These concerns have begun to filter through to non-EV drivers. Indeed, in a recent survey, nearly a third of them told us that concerns about the reliability and availability of public chargers put them off buying an EV.

Making Net Zero a reality hinges on UX because if green tech isn’t easy to use, consumers will be discouraged from adopting it.

What’s needed

Advancements in the speed and reliability of public chargers will undoubtedly go a long way to improving the overall charging experience.

But, as our research shows, there’s more to charging than kilowatts per hour; a number of systems and services need to align to produce a satisfying charging experience.

And because public charging stations are almost always unattended, it’s vital that these systems are easy to use, which is why UX and service design are so important.

The recent announcement that all new public charge points must offer contactless payment is a step in the right direction but a lot more is needed before we can consign charge anxiety to the past.

By simplifying on-screen interfaces, reducing reliance on proprietary apps, and making it easier to seek help – to name but some of the many improvements needed – we can truly bring mobility into the future.

Ready to design smarter EV charging experiences?