Identifying EV driversʼ needs for information communication technology to ease the EV charging process

Known barriers of Electric Vehicles (EVs) include their limited range and, to some extent, the underdeveloped charging infrastructure. This position paper presents initial results from a field study investigating the experience of EV drivers who are supported by a newly developed charging concept (ELVIIS) consisting of a web, smartphone and in-vehicle application. By connecting power grid owner with the telecom and vehicle industry such a solution can be achieved. Presented are the selfreported experiences of 11 EV drivers using Volvo C30 electric, captured via open-ended interviews after the completion of the trail. Highlighted are the user needs for information communication technology (ICT), in particular remote access. It should be noted that the ELVIIS charging concept is used in this position paper as an example to illustrate the need of ICT (e.g., remote access) rather than an evaluation of the overall ELVIIS concept. Further analysis will be performed to evaluate the concept in detail.