All EV drivers want is a simple EV charging experience. One of the key components to providing seamless EV charging is a great EV charging app. It’s what most EV drivers use to find a charger and make payment when they’re not charging at home or at work. The problem is, app fatigue is a thing nowadays, and people are installing and using fewer apps than in recent years
. Therefore, when drivers do download your EV charging app, you’d better make sure it gives them a great EV charging experience. Here are 5 capabilities your app can provide to keep drivers charged up and happy.
One EV charging app for all charging stations
With the current exponential growth in EV adoption, there aren’t enough chargers around yet. To spur EV adoption, both the EU and the US are investing billions to accelerate the deployment of public EV chargers. While some areas may have a scarcity of chargers, others, notably, urban areas, do have plenty of chargers for public use. The problem is that not all of them are always displayed on the EV charging app. Some service providers only display chargers in their network, and others that do show out-of-network chargers don’t display the full set o f charger details that a driver needs (like availability, plug types, and more). A good charging app should display all chargers in the driver’s area and provide enough details about them so that the driver can make the best choice before heading out.
eRoaming agreements between service providers are a win-win-win proposition. The provider with whom the driver is registered wins because they provided good service, allowing the driver to charge anywhere, and made some money doing so while fostering driver loyalty. Drivers are happy because they can charge their vehicle anywhere. And the roaming partner is also happy to make a buck. Using roaming agreements to greatly enlarge the network of chargers available to your drivers and enabling them with easy payment using their credit card (or their favorite payment app) is definitely part of the seamless EV charging experience we’re talking about.
Save your spot
One of the biggest problems for drivers is finding a charging station only to discover that someone else has plugged in while they were driving to it. It might “only be a frustration” if you’re in an urban area and can find another charger just a few minutes away. It’s very different if you happen to be in a rural area and the next available charger is further than your current state of charge can get you. You’re stuck waiting until the car occupying that one charger in the area moves on. Drivers ought to be able to reserve a charging station. Immediate reservations (i.e., within the next x minutes) can do away with the frustration of that charger being snagged from you as you were on the way, but longer-term reservation may also be a solution for long trips that go beyond a single charge. An EV road trip could be planned around charging stations and being able to reserve that one station when you’re 300 miles away from home may be the difference between getting stuck for hours and heading out as planned.
Speak to me
Road safety is a primary concern for everyone. The last thing anybody wants is to have an accident while searching for a nearby available charger. The one thing that can stop people from handling their mobile phones while driving is voice activation. Instead of having to stop by the roadside to tap “Search” on the charging app (which is also not completely safe), a driver could speak instructions such as, “Navigate to the nearest charger.” Aside from the absolute “cool factor” involved, this kind of capability can save the lives of both drivers and pedestrians. Here’s what this looks (and sounds) like on Driivz-powered EV charging apps.
When possible, save money using charging profiles
Time is money. Sometimes drivers just want to charge up as quickly as possible and move on. But there are times when drivers may be happy to leave the car at the charger for a while if they can save money. In many home charging scenarios, forward-looking utilities are offering consumers lower rates for electricity used at off-peak hours. So, a driver arriving at home in the early evening hours will be happy to wait until later in the night to start charging. The EV charging app should support that and allow the driver to choose charging profiles that specify when charging should start. For example, the “Power” profile may specify that charging should begin immediately at maximum power (if there’s a rush to charge up and go somewhere), while an “Economy” profile would specify that charging should only begin later when electricity costs are at their lowest. With this kind of capability, the driver can save money on EV charging while the utility reduces strain on the grid at peak hours.
Do anything in 3 clicks
The UX of the EV charging app is central to the driver’s EV charging experience. If app features are hidden deep in an obscure application flow, that’s a sure route to frustration for drivers. An app should be clear and simple, with all (or at least most) functionality intuitively available within 3 clicks.
80% of charging happens at home, but the other 20% happens when drivers are in less familiar surroundings and more susceptible to things going wrong. These are the times when they’re relying on their charging app to get them safely to the nearest charger that’s right for their vehicle. All drivers want is to easily find a charger, drive there, and plug in. Having additional key features like easy registration, easy search for a charging station, multiple payment methods, support for QR codes, and quick and easy access to customer support can only add to the driver’s experience. It’s up to the service provider to provide them with a simple yet advanced charging app that will give them that seamless charging experience that they want.
To learn about incorporating these capabilities into your offering through Driivz’s white label EV charging mobile app, reach out to one of our EV charging management experts at moc.zviird@sutcatnoc.
