The Energy Interface Challenge. Towards Designing Effective Energy Efficiency Interfaces for Electric Vehicles

The design of effective energy interfaces for electric vehicles needs an integrated perspective on the technical and psychological factors that together establish real-world vehicle energy efficiency. The objective of the present research was to provide a transdisciplinary synthesis of key factors for the design of energy interfaces for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) that effectively support drivers in their eco-driving efforts. While previous research tends to concentrate on the (visual) representation of common energy efficiency measures, we focus on the design of action-integrated metrics and indicators for vehicle energy efficiency that account for the perceptual capacities and bounded rationality of drivers. Based on this rationale, we propose energy interface examples for the most basic driving maneuvers (acceleration, constant driving, deceleration) and discuss challenges and opportunities of these design solutions.