Charging Widget
Helping EV drivers plan charging around high-demand periods.
Product & Design team
Amanda Han (Design)
Michael Alexander (Product)
Engineering team
Eric Socolofsky (EM)
Sam Ye
Altug Keciciler
Nikhil Yerasi
Megan Leitem
Stephanie Lee
Problem space
While EVs reduce fuel costs, they introduce a new constraint for Uber drivers: time. Charging takes significantly longer than refueling, and for drivers who rely on public infrastructure, this often happens during active driving hours. As a result, drivers must choose between stopping to charge or continuing to earn—leading to lost income and anxiety around range.
Research
We conducted interviews with 12 participants to understand Uber drivers' experience driving EVs. We found that:
Trip selection is influenced by battery range - Drivers sometimes decline longer trips when their remaining charge is too low, limiting earning opportunities
Charging costs impact driving schedules - Some drivers adjust their working hours (e.g., mornings) to take advantage of lower electricity rates
Breaks are strategically timed around demand - Drivers plan charging and downtime during off-peak hours to minimize lost earnings
Driving patterns shift to accommodate range limitations - Some drivers opt for shorter shifts or more frequent breaks due to charging needs
EV constraints shape how Uber drivers work and make decisions. They're not only reacting to demand, but also balancing battery constraints.
Project goal
-> Help drivers confidently decide when to charge without sacrificing high-earning opportunities
-> Reduce range anxiety by limiting incoming trip requests to those within a driver’s available charge
Early concepts
Early interaction explorations
Key interaction prototypes
Notifications (left) and core flow (right)
Different levels of charging guidance
UXR findings
We conducted 1:1 user research interviews with 11 drivers, including both delivery and rideshare drivers.
“Eligible trips” was the most valuable feature, helping drivers understand how many trips they could complete before needing to charge. However, making filtered trips visible at all battery stages seemed to increase anxiety by highlighting missed earning opportunities. All drivers preferred seeing range in miles instead of battery percentage.
"This is very interesting to me…[before] I've wished I knew…if the market is hot. It's telling you [this] but at the same time it's telling you if you need to charge quickly too."
—UXR participant
Final designs
Impact
-> EV Charging Map usage increased by +47% (stat sig), with strong lifts in yellow (+223%) and red (+318%) stages
-> EV Charging Map navigation starts increased by +16%, driven primarily by yellow stage usage (+97%)
-> Directional improvements observed in completed trips (+0.8% relative) and active supply hours (+1.5% relative)
Next steps
-> Improve EV Charging Map quality by expanding charging station coverage and data accuracy
-> Integrate earnings predictions into the Charging Widget to help drivers time charging around peak earning periods
Charging Widget with earnings input