Four Untapped Opportunities to Improve the Everyday Driver’s EV Journey

By Hilary Polis

Current EV drivers are willing to put up with long wait times to get a vehicle, sub-par public charging experiences, and a need for clarity around rebate/tax credit criteria, among other issues. To revolutionize the market, we must cater to a broader population of prospective car buyers beyond early adopters who demand complete solutions. Right now, we sit at a critical inflection point, and we need to address EV customer experience pain points both swiftly and thoughtfully to pave the way for the EV transition.

This June, I attended the AESP EV Driver Experience Solutions Lab, a first-of-kind interactive event designed to map out the EV customer journey, identify pain points, and collaboratively develop solutions to enable widespread EV adoption. To date, much of the industry conversation around the EV driver experience has focused on ways to address the unreliability of public charging. This issue has been a hotbed of attention recently, with partnership announcements that will enable Ford and GM drivers to use the Tesla public charging network. While it is exciting to see movement on this issue, we need to explore solutions that address customer pain points across the entire customer journey.

I spoke on a panel focused on improving customer EV rebates, rate design, and managed charging programs at the Solutions Lab. Many of the key themes from our panel and breakout sessions converged with insights from Opinion Dynamics’ research with EV owners about their experience with utility programs. These takeaways point to four key opportunities to improve the EV driver experience to enable mass adoption beyond just improving public charging reliability:

• Driver education must become a higher priority. Prospective EV buyers face an array of new decisions, such as understanding the total cost of ownership, including fuel and maintenance costs, and where, when, and how much to charge. Decision-support tools such as total cost of ownership calculators that stack federal, state, and local incentives and demystify rates and the benefits of participating in utility programs have demonstrated effectiveness in encouraging EV adoption and channeling customers into utility programs. Directing customers to tools that explain the different types of charging and provide maps that identify public charging locations can also help reduce range anxiety. While early adopters may be willing to do their homework and seek out these tools, the average driver wants to be a customer, not a researcher. Results from our research on one utility program showed that most customers began investigating rebate options after they had decided to purchase an EV. We need to find more opportunities to intervene earlier in the vehicle decision-making process and convey that EVs are a viable option through dealers, advertising on car-buying websites, and other targeted outreach to reach the mass market of car buyers who may not otherwise consider an EV.  Site hosts seeking to install EV charging and fleet managers looking to electrify their fleets also have various informational needs, particularly around project costs that must be addressed before they can greenlight new projects. In these situations, tools are not enough. Utilities have a crucial opportunity to support these customers with advisory services, such as an assigned point of contact to guide them through the process.

•  Increase dealer education to increase EV sales and utility program enrollment. The dealer experience represents a critical point in the car-buying process and an opportunity to educate customers about the benefits of EVs. However, most dealers’ priority remains to make a sale, and dealers have little incentive to invest the time required to become experts on EV ownership and charging, let alone utility program options. Contractors have come to be critical allies in the delivery of utility HVAC programs. Similarly, partnering with dealers to educate drivers about EVs and channel them into programs remains a promising opportunity. There is an opportunity cost; however, delays in the purchase process can jeopardize a potential sale, and dealers deserve to be adequately compensated for their efforts. Both automakers and utilities should begin to explore opportunities to offer spot bonuses and incentives to dealers who complete trainings about EV ownership and enroll customers in utility rebate and managed charging offers. Exploring opportunities to streamline the rebate application process can also help ease the burden on dealers.

• Meet future EV drivers where they are today. Convincing drivers to switch to an EV when it is not yet the right fit for their lifestyle could be counterproductive if those drivers spread the word about their negative experiences. Instead, we should segment customers based on where they are in their adoption journey and deliver targeted messaging that aligns with each segment’s individualized information needs. For example, those residing in multifamily residencies without charging infrastructure may benefit from information about the locations of local public charging stations. Lower- and middle-income folks may be receptive to guidance on how to stack income-qualified tax credits and rebates. For some customers, individual car ownership may not be a viable option. Still, there are opportunities to help these groups access clean transportation modes like electric buses, shuttles, bikes, and ride-sharing.

• Provide more opportunities for prospective EV buyers to try before they buy. Transitioning to an EV requires more than just adjusting to a new vehicle; it represents both a paradigm shift and a lifestyle change. Ride-and-drive events and test drives are great opportunities for drivers to gain exposure to EVs but fail to help them understand how transitioning to an electric fuel source fits their daily routine. Low-risk electric lease-to-buy, long-term car and charger rental, and car share options can give drivers, and even fleet managers, the experience they need to confidently determine whether an EV is the right fit for them. With these intermediary options, we can convert a segment of drivers who may be interested in EVs but write them off because of the unknowns.

With the rise of federal, state, and utility funding, transportation electrification is accelerating. Amid this fast-paced environment, taking the time to intentionally assess customer pain points and market gaps hindering EV adoption and charging deployment is crucial. Utilities, automakers, regulators, and government entities must collaborate to address these needs. By crafting innovative solutions, we maximize the impact of the funding influx, empowering EV drivers to become influential advocates for electric mobility.

About the author:

Hilary Polis is an Associate Director of Transportation Electrification at Opinion Dynamics where she leads Opinion Dynamics’ work in the transportation electrification space. Hilary leverages her expertise in vehicle grid integration to help clients understand the intersection of the EV owner and the grid. She provides advisory services to utilties and automakers across the country that are looking to building or scale EV load management offerings including PG&E, ComEd, and Puget Sound Energy. Hilary also has a depth of experience directing research projects to understand the performance of large-scale TE initiatives including SCE’s Charge Ready Light Duty Program, NYSERDA’s Clean Transportation Prize Program, Xcel Energy Colorado’s Transportation Electrification Plan Pilot’s, and Portland General Electric’s TE pilots.

For more information regarding the article, Contact:

Hilary Polis: hpolis@opiniondynamics.com