eMobility accelerated

In brief

• Without significant rapid improvement, poor customer experience could risk delays in EV adoption and hinder global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
  
• eMobility’s evolution is dependent on an ecosystem working in harmony to achieve scalability that helps meet net zero objectives.
  
• Cross-industry collaboration is critical, no single company or industry has the scale, technological expertise or customer base to succeed alone.
  
• We see strong convergence of the oil and gas, utilities and automotive value chains, focused on a seamless charging experience.

The new eMobility customer journey

A seamless user experience is the vision for eMobility in the near-future. But delivering it relies on the entire ecosystem working in harmony. It relies on an interoperable infrastructure that supports collaboration between automotive, the power system and charge point networks.

Friction within the ecosystem leads directly to poor user experience. Therefore, excellent user experience relies on significant improvements to device and vehicle interoperability. And as the deadline looms for internal combustion engine (ICE) bans, the industry needs to transform quickly.

This cannot be done with one foot in the past. Each part of the value chain needs to undergo total reinvention. A robust digital core is the foundation for a much deeper cross-industry collaboration.

One where silos are broken down so that organizations can embrace the art of the possible and develop a more customer-centric future.

Improve customer experience

Early adopters’ experience needs to be improved across the entire customer journey. It starts from the moment a customer begins thinking about buying their first EV. Greater education is needed as customers transition to EVs. Often delays occur in home charge point installations, too few public charge points which can be slow to charge and often out of service, and range of payment systems that are incompatible with each other.

On the move, drivers cannot easily access real-time data on where public charge points are, their capacity, their availability, or the cost to charge their vehicles. There is a profusion of different eMobility apps, creating confusion and frustration among drivers. And a lack of data sharing means there is no single source of information on the complete charging network.

Charge point installations can be delayed by months, waiting for permitting approvals, for suppliers to deliver the charging hardware, and for distribution operators to connect them to the grid.

Restore confidence in charging infrastructure

Four key attributes create a positive customer experience: simplicity, transparency, trust, and affordability. If the eMobility industry gets all four right, across the customer journey, confidence will improve.

The industry needs to make it easier to choose the right vehicle, install a charger at home, and access and pay for charging in public. Customers should also trust that an EV’s battery range can support daily routines.

In addition, new charge points delivered on time, installers available to fit the equipment, and distribution network operators able to ensure that grid connections are timely and any required grid upgrades are performed on time. eMobility app functionality has to improve, to provide clearer, more complete, and real-time information on public charging infrastructure, including availability and cost.