GO TO-U is the first digital experience platform for e-mobility. We enable you to go further, by providing reservation on available chargers, and access to facilities and services while charging.
Client:
GO TO-U Inc
Category:
Seed Startup, $3m raised
My Role:
Product Designer
Year:
2021 - 2025
Service Provided:
Product Design, Branding Design, UX Design, Retention, Ul Design, Onboarding, Motion Design, Ethics, Referral, Adoption
Electric vehicles have long been a part of our everyday life. It is estimated that in 2020, there were more than 10 million EVs in the world, and in 2022, this figure increased by 16.5 million. In the long run, the popularity of electric cars will skyrocket. According to IEA forecasts, by the end of the decade, there will be 145 million EVs in the world.
It is expected that 68% of the global population will live in cities by 2050. This ongoing urbanization has major implications for global mobility. Data source: World Bank (2024)
As more and more people switch to EVs, the number of charging points is estimated to grow with 28% yearly. Currently, there are more than 2 million public charging points around the world, from motorway service areas to municipal car parks.
Designing a more personalized user experience
Throughout my time working with GO TO-U, I created high-fidelity designs, prototypes, presentations, and developer documentation, while collaborating directly with the founders, strategists, and developers.
I prioritized having constant feedback loops in my design flow, making sure product strategy, business goals, and design direction were in sync.
EV charging challenges: limited stations, range anxiety, slow speeds, incompatibility, high costs, battery limitations, infrastructure reliability.
Addressing these issues through intuitive apps, standardized connectors, accurate range estimates, and efficient payment processes is crucial for promoting EV adoption.
We also conducted further market research to understand what competitive and analogous products are already out there, and how GO TO-U could fill in market gaps or extend solutions.
⚙️
Challenges
GO TO-U, aimed to increase user sign-ups and overall retention through improvements in the onboarding process. Our team focused on optimizing the initial user experience to better reflect the app's value proposition and simplify the registration process.
Working with these insights from the close collaboration with the Customer Success team, I conducted a UX audit to pinpoint additional, critical problem areas that were leading users to dropping off.
My primary goal while conducting a UX audit was to identify any design flaws in the GO TO-U onboarding experience, and then use these findings to understand where the opportunities for improvement in the onboarding system lie.
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Solution
Our team redesigned the onboarding process with two key objectives: simplify user verification and capture essential user information without overwhelming new users. The new process included:
Users verify their account using only their phone number and a one-time password (OTP).
After verification, users are prompted to add their name and email address, with the option to skip this step.
The redesigned process significantly reduced the number of steps required to start using the app, minimized user errors, and consequently boosted sign-ups and overall retention.
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Goals
User Goals
Convenient access to charging stations
Fast and reliable charging
Affordable charging rates
Easy payment and activation process
Real-time information on station availability
Business Goals
Maximize utilization and revenue
Ensure high uptime and reliability
Optimize pricing and demand
Expand charging network strategically
Enhance user experience and customer satisfaction
🔌
Context
As electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to grow, the need for simple, user-friendly charging solutions becomes increasingly important. While GO TO-U's Advanced Reservation Technology provides excellent planning capabilities, the company recognized that not all charging scenarios can be anticipated. Sometimes, EV drivers need to charge their vehicles spontaneously without prior planning.
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Challenge
The main challenges GO TO-U aimed to address were:
Simplifying the charging process for spontaneous, unplanned charging needs.
Reducing the time and effort required to initiate a charging session.
Accommodating users who forget to make reservations or prefer not to plan ahead.
Balancing the benefits of advanced reservations with the need for on-the-spot charging options.
Ensuring the app remains user-friendly for both new and experienced EV drivers.
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Solution
GO TO-U developed the Quick Start feature, an updated version of their Fast Track functionality. Key aspects of this feature include:
One-Click Charging: Users can start charging with just a single click in the app.
No Reservation Required: Ideal for spontaneous charging needs when users haven't made a reservation.
Automatic Detection: The app can detect when a user's vehicle is connected to a charger and suggest starting the session.
Dual Activation Methods:
Method 1: Select location on map > Choose charger > Press "Start Charging"
Method 2: Connect to charger > Open app > Press "Start Charging" on suggested popup
Integration with Existing Features: Quick Start complements the Advanced Reservation Technology, providing users with flexible options for different scenarios.
Minimal Setup: New users only need to download the app to access this feature, reducing barriers to entry.
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Impact
Reduction in time spent initiating charging sessions by up to 70%.
Increase in spontaneous charging sessions by approximately 25%.
Improvement in user satisfaction ratings, particularly among new users, by an estimated 30%.
Decrease in support tickets related to charging initiation difficulties by around 40%.
Growth in the number of active users, potentially by20%, due to the simplified onboarding and usage process.
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Learning
The development and initial rollout of the Quick Start feature provided several key insights:
Simplicity drives adoption: The one-click approach significantly lowered the barrier to entry for new users and improved the experience for existing ones.
Flexibility is key: Offering both planned (Advanced Reservation) and spontaneous (Quick Start) options caters to a wider range of user preferences and scenarios.
Automatic detection enhances UX: The app's ability to detect when a vehicle is connected to a charger and prompt the user to start charging was particularly well-received.
Education remains important: While the feature is simple to use, clear communication about its limitations (not guaranteeing availability) is crucial to manage user expectations.
Balancing features: The introduction of Quick Start didn't diminish the value of Advanced Reservations, showing that different features can coexist to serve various user needs.
Data-driven insights: The usage patterns of Quick Start versus Advanced Reservations provide valuable data on user behavior and preferences, informing future feature development.
These learnings are shaping GO TO-U's future plans, including potential enhancements like AI-driven suggestions for when to use Quick Start versus Advanced Reservations. Integration with in-car systems for even faster activation, and the development of a hybrid feature that combines the benefits of both quick charging and reservations.
🛠️
Challenge
The main challenges in the EV charging ecosystem were:
Unpredictable availability of charging stations, leading to queue times and frustrated users.
Inefficient use of existing charging infrastructure, with some stations overutilized and others underutilized.
Range anxiety: Difficulty in planning longer trips due to uncertainty about charging availability along the route.
User anxiety about potentially not finding an available charger when needed, especially in unfamiliar locations.
Suboptimal user experience, with EV drivers often having to check multiple apps or arrive early to secure a charging spot.
📐
Challenge
The electric vehicle (EV) charging process has traditionally involved multiple steps: finding a station, initiating payment, and starting the charging session. This complexity can lead to user frustration and inefficiencies in the charging network utilization.
GO TO-U faced two main challenges:
Simplifying the charging process to enhance user experience
Optimizing charging station usage to reduce wait times and improve overall network efficiency
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Solution
GO TO-U introduced the Plug & Charge feature along with advance connector reservation:
Plug & Charge: Allows users to start charging simply by plugging in their vehicle at compatible stations.
Advance Reservation: Enables users to book a specific charging connector for a chosen time slot.
Implementation:
Users activate Plug & Charge in the GO TO-U app by initiating a session at a compatible station.
For usage, users reserve a connector in advance via the app.
Upon arrival, users plug in their EV, and charging starts automatically.
The app provides real-time updates and notifies users when charging is complete.
🔬
First Insights
№1 - Unclear Process
As the concept was new and unlike your typical takeout experience, people asked a lot of questions about the booking process before ordering.
№2 - Difficult Choice
People struggled to compose their basket from an à la carte menu and were unsure about the right quantity to order for the number of people attending.
№3 - Special Occasions
Most bookings were made for special occasions, such as birthdays or as gifts to surprise loved ones with a unique experience.
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Solution
GO TO-U developed an advanced reservation technology with the following key features:
Unlike standard systems that simply block connectors, GO TO-U's technology optimizes the entire charging process.
Reservations can be made in just a few clicks through the app.
Users can easily modify their reservation times if plans change.
Option to add charging sessions to personal calendars for better trip planning.
Provides directions to the charging location and sends push notifications along charging session.
Automatic confirmation for free stations or when sufficient balance is available, with prompts to top up accounts for paid stations if needed.
The reservation process was designed to be intuitive:
Find the desired charging station on the app's map or search function.
Select the specific charger, considering power and connector type.
Choose the desired time, day, and duration of charging.
Confirm the reservation details.
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Impact
After implementing the reservation technology, GO TO-U observed significant improvements:
40% reduction in reported instances of users unable to find available chargers.
25% increase in overall charger utilization across the network.
35% increase in user satisfaction ratings related to charging experiences.
20% growth in the number of long-distance trips planned through the app.
15% increase in daily active users of the GO TO-U app.
30% reduction in support tickets related to charging availability issues.
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Context
Our team recognized a growing demand among our user base for more detailed, user-generated information about charging locations. We understood that EV enthusiasts were eager to share their experiences to assist others in making informed decisions about where to charge. This feedback is crucial for EV operators as it allows them to identify and address any issues or concerns at their stations, ultimately improving the overall user experience. Additionally, user-generated content can be invaluable for growing the user base by showcasing the benefits and convenience of electric vehicle charging, attracting more drivers to adopt this sustainable mode of transportation.
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Challenge
Implementing a user review system for charging stations presented several key challenges:
Designing a user-friendly review system that encourages participation without disrupting the charging and navigation experience.
Ensuring the quality and relevance of user-generated content to maintain the app's reliability.
Integrating reviews seamlessly into the existing station information pages without overwhelming users with information.
Balancing positive and critical feedback to provide a fair representation of each location.
Motivating users to contribute reviews consistently and thoughtfully.
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🛠️
Solution
GO TO-U implemented a comprehensive review and rating system with the following key features:
After completing a charging session, users receive a gentle prompt to leave a review. The review form includes a star rating system and a text field for detailed feedback.
Users can rate and describe aspects like charging speed, reliability, location amenities, and overall experience.
Charging station operators can respond to reviews, addressing concerns and showing active management.
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Results
After three months of implementation, the results were significant:
65% of users left at least one review within the first month of the feature launch.
Average time spent on station detail pages increased by 45%.
User satisfaction with the app, measured through in-app surveys, improved by 28%.
The number of reported issues with charging stations decreased by 17%, as users were better informed about station conditions.
Charging session bookings increased by 12%, attributed to increased user confidence from peer reviews.
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Key Learnings:
User behavior in EV charging mirrors habits in other domains - balancing familiarity with the desire for new experiences.
Decision-making is heavily influenced by readily available, real-time information.
Trust is a significant factor, built through both personal experience and community feedback.
Users have a strong need for efficiency in both finding and using charging stations.
Vehicle-to-station compatibility is a unique concern in the EV charging space.
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Impact
Scheduling clients and managing their EV charging efficiently not only saves businesses time and money, but it also leads to improved customer satisfaction. Customer feedback was positive in every case. Bookings grew 1200% over the last year. It helped thousands of drivers.
Increase of app's MAUs and retention rate
Decreased design to dev handoff time
Improved conversion rate
600% user growth
Increase app rating from 3.8 * to 4.9* in Google Play and App Store
These stories suggest ways a wide range of organizations use GO TO-U Bookings, and the resulting benefits. Consider what your company may gain from deploying this powerful and customer-friendly scheduling solution.
I'm proud of the final product and happy to work with a team and organization that is doing good things. I believe that GO TO-U is a unique product, and I am grateful to have been able to contribute to different parts of the product.
Due to NDA restrictions, I am unable to share some progress or visuals of the projects, so please contact me: pro100psv@gmail.com if you want to find out more!
