- Released to external beta testers in May 2026
- Positive early feedback from TestFlight participants
- Established Clever's first route-planning capability
- Reduced dependency on third-party route planning tools
- Created a foundation for future vehicle integrations
Impact
My contribution
- Led discovery and research synthesis
- Defined the problem space and opportunity
- Facilitated workshops and concept development
- Balanced user needs with business objectives
- Collaborated closely with developers to shape a feasible solution
Context and purpose
One of the biggest pain points of owning an electric vehicle is finding relevant charging opportunities while travelling.
Through both qualitative and quantitative research, we repeatedly saw that many users relied on third-party route planning tools to find charging stops. This meant that Clever had limited influence on a critical part of the charging journey, and many of these tools did not surface the full Clever network or our charging partners.
At the same time, many vehicles still lack robust route planning capabilities built into the car itself.
Our ambition was not to build another navigation platform. Instead, we wanted to help users make better charging decisions directly within the Clever app.
The problem we solved
Finding a charging location is not simply about finding the nearest charger.
Drivers need confidence that a charging stop will still be relevant by the time they arrive. Current availability alone is often a poor indicator, and users frequently struggle to assess factors such as charger speed, reliability, location quality, and expected demand.
For Clever, this represented both a customer experience challenge and a business opportunity. Some locations regularly experienced congestion, while nearby locations often had significant spare capacity.
Design challenge
How might we help EV drivers discover relevant charging stops without relying on direct vehicle integration?
We needed a solution that worked across vehicle brands, reduced complexity for users, and supported better utilisation of Clever's charging network.
Research and insights
To understand the charging-on-the-go journey, we combined annual customer satisfaction surveys, a dedicated survey distributed to more than 1,000 members of Clever's customer panel, and approximately 10 in-depth qualitative interviews.
One of the first things we learned was that finding charging opportunities remains a frequent activity for EV drivers.
45%Charge on the go at least once a week
79%Charge on the go at least once or twice per month
Key insight
While evaluating the charging-on-the-go journey, we realised that users were not necessarily looking for a complete route planning platform.
What they needed was confidence that they could find relevant charging opportunities while travelling.
This shifted our focus from building navigation to supporting better charging decisions.
What influences charging stop selection?
Users do not simply look for the nearest charger. Their decision is influenced by a combination of practical and contextual factors.
The solution in the Clever app
Rather than building a complete navigation platform, we focused on helping users make better charging decisions.
Step 1Search destinationUsers search for where they want to go directly in the Clever app.
Step 2Review suggestionsClever suggests charging stops within 1,000 meters of the route.
Step 3Send to navigationUsers choose preferred stops and transfer the route to their navigation app.
Clever suggests relevant charging locations close to the route, prioritising high-speed chargers and locations with many outlets to reduce the risk of waiting.
This approach allowed us to create value without requiring direct vehicle integration, making the feature available to all Clever customers regardless of vehicle type.
What did I learn?
- Impactful solutions do not always require complex technology. Sometimes the most valuable solution is the one that reduces complexity.
- Route planning had been viewed primarily as a technical challenge, but users were not necessarily asking for a complete route planning platform.
- Looking back, I learned that we spent too much time comparing ourselves to specialised route planning tools and too little time focusing on the underlying user need.
- The project also raised an important strategic question: where can Clever create unique value as vehicle software continues to improve?
