Why UX matters in the future of EV adoption
- SBD Automotive
- 3일 전
- 4분 읽기
One of the key drivers of EV adoption is the quality and seamlessness of the charging experience. When the first modern charging networks were deployed, they were often fragmented, unreliable, and inconvenient.
Since then, rapid progress in both charging infrastructure and vehicle technology has reshaped the landscape but users often struggle with long setup or usage processes, reliability issues, opaque information, inconsistent app ecosystems, and physical safety concerns at stations. These gaps highlight that charging is not only a technological challenge but also a UX and trust challenge.
Major pain points exist across the charging experience
Access & Account Management: Lengthy sign-up processes and poor contract management tools make it difficult for users to set up or adapt charging services. Basic tasks like viewing conditions or deleting contracts can be unnecessarily complicated.
Transparency & Information: Users can face unclear or inconsistent pricing structures, limited filtering options when searching for stations, and poor visibility of charging session summaries. In many cases, guidance is unclear or missing altogether, making it harder to understand processes or features.
Reliability & Efficiency: Users still encounter broken or unavailable stations, long delays due to slow charging, and fragmented digital ecosystems that require switching between multiple apps for planning, authentication, and payment. Depending on the vehicle, some users have to use separate CPO apps for each charging station.
Physical Experience & Safety: Even when a station is located and functional, the physical environment can cause frustration. Many sites lack roofs, clear signage, or space for larger vehicles such as caravans. Stolen cables have become a problem, while poor lighting or remote industrial locations create safety concerns, particularly for women and other vulnerable users.
Pain points across all markets
Pain points across all markets
"EV navigation is shifting from a tool the driver operates to a system that quietly works on the driver’s behalf. As predictive models improve, vehicles will understand preferred routing styles, identify the most suitable charging options, and adapt plans in real time with minimal driver input. The OEMs that lead in this space will be those that remove unnecessary steps, simplify choices, and deliver guidance that feels intuitive and reduces cognitive load. While some users might prefer feature depth and adding more options, others will appreciate most how little effort they need to invest to feel confident with their trip."
Next steps for OEMs?
OEMs that address these pain points would gain an advantage over the competition and could potentially build new revenue streams by solving them.
Ecosystem Integration
Building a well-connected charging ecosystem helps OEMs deliver a smoother, more reliable charging experience for users.
Brand Loyalty
A seamless charging journey encourages users to stay committed to the OEM’s brand over the long term.
User Satisfaction
Improving charging convenience directly boosts overall user satisfaction with the EV and its ecosystem.
Staying Competitive
Strong charging solutions help OEMs remain competitive in a rapidly evolving EV market.
Source: Best practice slide from 645d UX Enabling Tech Series – Public Charging for EVs
"The most forward-thinking OEMs and CPOs are no longer competing on speed or coverage alone, but on how effortless the charging process can feel for the user. Instead of requiring multiple apps, authentication steps, and fragmented data sources, current development is shifting toward the vehicle itself as the primary interface. When charger availability and information, routing, session start, and payment are handled automatically in the background, the charging experience becomes a seamless activity rather than a task the driver needs to manage. For OEMs and CPOs alike, the winning strategy is not adding more features but removing friction. Enabling interoperability and gaining trust through reliability of information will be a significant differentiator."
Keeping up to date
As EV adoption accelerates, user experience is becoming one of the strongest differentiators between OEMs, charging providers, and digital ecosystems.
SBD Automotive’s UX Enabling Tech series examines how drivers actually experience EV navigation and public charging today, identifying where friction still exists and where best practice is emerging. Using hands on testing, benchmark comparisons, and user-centric analysis, these reports highlight how design decisions affect trust, confidence, and real world usability across markets.
The UX Enabling Tech Series – Navigation for EVs report focuses on route planning, charger discovery, guidance clarity, and cognitive load, while the UX Enabling Tech Series - Public Charging for EVs report evaluates station access, payment flows, reliability signals, and the physical charging environment.
Together, they provide practical insight into how UX choices influence charging confidence, trip success, and long term brand perception.
For organisations looking to go deeper, SBD Automotive also delivers bespoke UX and CX research projects, helping OEMs and ecosystem players identify pain points, prioritise improvements, and design charging and navigation experiences that feel intuitive.
