Xplug connects EV drivers with reliable charging infrastructure and builds community through shared resources and experiences, making sustainable transportation more accessible and rewarding.
My Role
Founding Product Designer
(User Research, Interaction Design,
Visual Design, Prototyping, Brand Design)
Timeline
July 2025 - Present
(Ongoing)
Team
1 Product Manager,
1 Developer, 1 Growth Manager,
1 User Researcher
Part 1 · The Challenge
Why EV Drivers Need Better Charging Solutions?
Unreliable Infrastructure, Wasted Time
Only 78% of public EV chargers work when drivers arrive, with some networks failing 48% of the time and 1 in 5 EV owners unable to charge at visited stations. Failed charging attempts create costly delays and range anxiety for drivers who need dependable information.
Isolated Community, Missed Connections
EV drivers share environmental values and similar charging challenges, yet lack a platform to connect and share real-world experiences. Research shows virtual communities empower better driving practices, but existing apps focus only on location data, missing opportunities to transform individual frustrations into collective problem-solving.
Part 2 · What I Learned from EV Drivers
Market Research
EV Drivers, the Pioneers
EV drivers are primarily college-educated millennials aged 30-44 who are tech-enthusiastic and environmentally conscious. Unlike traditional car buyers focused on reliability and price, EV drivers are motivated by environmental concerns, cost savings, and the excitement of driving electric. With 89% planning their next car to be electric, this community reshapes what sustainable transportation means and often shares a pioneering mindset toward clean technology.
User Research
What do EV Drivers think about charging?
Through team research including 6 interviews and 18 surveys with current EV owners across North America (representing 6 months to 5+ years of EV experience), we identified key challenges:
Industry Audit
What's missing in current solutions?
I focused on understanding EV drivers' behaviors and pain points to guide my design approach. By analyzing current charging platforms (90% of EV owners use charging apps), I identified two distinctive patterns: either provide comprehensive station databases without real-time reliability updates, or offer community features without accurate technical charging information. With charging stations only 78% reliable, neither approach fully addresses drivers' core needs.
Part 3 · Designing Smarter Charging Experiences
Tired of guessing which charger actually works?
AI Picks finds the most reliable one nearby — fast, easy, and worry-free.
It learns from each driver’s charging habits, preferences, and past sessions, then analyzes similar user patterns and real-time station data to recommend the best match. By combining community feedback, usage trends, and charger reliability, AI Picks helps drivers save time and avoid uncertainty — making every charge more personalized and dependable.
🍳 Still cooking up the full case study—check back soon for the complete recipe!