Purpose: As was revealed in the literature review more research is lacking in the area of EV users and in the change of interaction between users and this new technology. Thus this thesis seeks to zoom into the user experience of being an EV driver, and to emphatically investigate what this experience is like (i.e., what is working and what could be improved upon) to further facilitate a smoother transition to green mobility that can ensure EVs mass adoption that is necessary to help meet target C02 emission reductions by 2030.
Design/methodology/approach: The Double Diamond methodology was applied to the overall design process – while the ‘design thinking process’ facilitated complementary stages, or design methods and approaches, undertaken at each phase of the design process.
Findings: Service design’s potential at a micro-level has the ability to influence something as complex as the e-mobility transition by applying user-centric and empathic design that helps to lessen the complexity and focuses on zooming-in on the interaction between the user and this new emergent technology and of its service offerings. SD at this level enables keeping the user at center to design a product/service that is truly solving the user’s problem and/or addressing the user’s needs— in this case helping to address EV users the transition to e-mobility, and with focus on urban dwellers who depend on accessible and reliable on-street charging services for their charging needs.
Research limitations: Investigating the relationship between EV users and this new technology is in its early stages. There is still much uncertainty on how EV charging services should be provided in these early stages of market development (Chavez, 2022; LaMonaca & Ryan, 2022). Furthermore, the transition to electric-mobility is context specific as there will be differences city to city and country to country on what works and what does not. The results of this study may provide a basis for future research on this topic.
Key words: Service design. User-experience. Electric vehicles. Urban e-mobility transition. E-mobility adoption.