Enabling a European EV charging network to extend their presence into outlying areas and private installations

The client’s field research showed the absence of charging stations in non-urban areas to be one of the main consumer concerns when choosing an EV charging network. Based on this:

• our client oriented themselves toward customers who charge their electric vehicles not only in cities but also in the countryside and sparsely populated areas through which highways run
• in addition to offering public charging stations, the client was also interested in catering to EV owners who prefer at-home charging
• our client endeavored to provide their customers and charging network administrators with a convenient and easy-to-use solution for managing charging sessions and charging stations

The charging network provider decided to develop:

• a mobile application with extensive functionality that allows customers to easily locate nearby charging stations, navigate to them, and manage charging sessions
• a web application for administrators to manage charging stations and solve reported issues remotely

Our client was a newcomer in the EV charging niche. Given this, they sought a software development company with experience in building EV charging solutions and skilled specialists that would be able to properly plan and manage development processes. The client chose Yalantis because of our experience working with IoT solutions and proven product delivery strategy.

Identifying user needs in non-urban environments and on private property

In terms of this project, it was crucial to:

• identify EV owners’ biggest pain points when dealing with EV charging providers and their applications
• correlate potential customers’ needs with our client’s business goals
• determine and develop functionality that would cover the needs of EV drivers in urban public spaces, non-urban public spaces, and on private property

That’s why the Yalantis BA team went through a comprehensive discovery stage that comprised:

1. analyzing competitors. Yalantis business analysts analyzed the most popular and widespread EV charging networks in Germany. This included an examination of competitor business strategies, applications (their functionality and UI/UX), opportunities for customers, and users’ wishes and complaints.
2. creating personas. Our BA team divided potential customers into several groups based on their EV usage patterns (work, errands, travel, etc.). This helped the team not only design the needed functionality but also identify the most convenient locations for charging stations.
3. feature mapping. Our specialists mapped features to make a visual presentation for our client. This map included details about how each feature should work and which business goal it serves.
4. roadmapping. Business analysts divided features into several groups, prepared and validated the release plan, and found the necessary specialists to deliver functionality on time.

Meeting the needs of new target audiences

Implementing advanced navigation for urban and non-urban drivers

The goal of the Yalantis team was to help users quickly find one charging station among hundreds within a city or outside of a city, including with a poor internet connection. For this, our developers implemented:

• an interactive map. Drivers can easily locate the nearest charging stations with geolocation and see the distance and time to them.The interactive map also includes information about available chargers and connector types.
• offline mode for locations with a bad connection. Offline mode makes the experience of using non-urban charging stations as smooth as possible. To find a charging station even without an internet connection, we allowed for downloading offline maps with all charging stations.
• route planning. With route planning, drivers don’t need to switch to other applications to find a destination. Now, the application builds routes itself, considering traffic jams and temporary road closures, and easily switches to driving mode.
• map filters. Map filters help drivers easily rule out charging stations that aren’t suitable in terms of location, connector type, or charging type.
• queues and reservations. Drivers no longer have to worry about unavailable charging stations. A strict reservation schedule allows them to come to a station for a booked time slot, avoiding peak periods and long waits.

Building functionality for at-home charging stations

On top of the functionality mentioned above, owners of at-home charging stations can enjoy the following benefits:

• No extra charges. EV owners can purchase a charging station and the client’s team will set it up at their home free of charge, with no subscription fees or additional charges in the future.
• Analytics and reporting. Owners can see how much energy they have consumed by charging in the mobile app or via PDF reports.
• Station maintenance. Private charging stations receive regular check-ups and maintenance by our client’s specialists. A customer can schedule station maintenance or request urgent maintenance through the support team.

Designing a user-centric and convenient UI/UX

Our priority in building a mobile application for customers was to provide them with a smooth and efficient experience. To do this, the UI/UX team improved:

• the user interface. We considered issues that users had with competitors’ applications and created an efficient and user-friendly interface. Users can start a charging session, subscribe to plans, and retrieve statistics with a minimum number of clicks.The UI is designed to complement the latest versions of iOS and Android.
• notifications and system messages. Customers experienced inconveniences when they weren’t notified of the start and end of a charging session and weren’t provided with sufficient explanations regarding issues. We designed customizable and descriptive notifications that suggest next steps.

Increasing customer engagement

To attract more long-term customers, our engineers developed functionality for customer engagement:

• Integration with other EV charging networks. To provide customers with a top-notch experience, our client decided to integrate their app with other EV charging networks. Even if there are no charging stations of our client nearby, customers can charge their cars using charging stations from partners through the client’s application.
• Discounts. Discounts are valid only for a certain period and are offered to users based on their charging patterns. The system notifies a user of available discounts and displays them on the map for participating charging stations.
• Multiple payment options. Customers can pay for charging inside the application via credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
• Real-time support. It’s important to be in touch with customers to quickly solve any issues or provide consultations. We enabled 24/7 chat with the support team and calls with agents.
• Quick feedback. Customers can leave their feedback in a few clicks for each charging station. They can also add images and reply to comments.
• Family subscriptions. For families who use more than one electric vehicle, there’s an opportunity to switch between different vehicles under one account.
• Analytics and reporting. Our team implemented basic analytics and reporting to let customers know everything about their energy consumption, charging history, and transaction history.

Developing a client-facing web application: Admin portal

In addition to creating a convenient app for customers, the team also took care of admins. They need advanced functionality to keep tabs on charging stations at a distance and implement pricing changes.

Considering the specifics of the client’s work and their business requirements, Yalantis created functionality that allows admins to:​ ​

• set new prices for public chargers
• manage multiple charging points from different locations remotely
• manage customers’ access to specific stations
• view and analyze usage and issue reporting statistics
• manage software updates
• manage alarm and issue management