Equicharge ⚡
Empowering Canadian fleet managers
with adaptive, data-driven tools
for an efficient zero-emission transition.
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In Canada, the shift to zero-emission fleets is driven by both regulatory and commercial incentives:
⚡ Energy Savings
📃 Regulation
💰 Incentives
💰 Incentives
The goal of the EquiCharge project is to simplify and support fleet managers in planning and optimizing the transition paths, helping companies align with both regulatory and financial benefits.
While Canada’s regulatory and financial incentives make fleet electrification attractive, the transition to zero-emission fleets remains complex. Companies face high upfront vehicle costs, the need for charging infrastructure, and operational adjustments to integrate new energy sources. Existing fleet management tools fall short of supporting these transitions effectively.
A seminar with Product manager and engineers to learn about the background.
Currently, fleet managers rely on consulting services for zero-emission transitions. These services are costly, labor-intensive, and challenging to scale, often providing static solutions that quickly become outdated as needs and regulations evolve.
Recognizing this gap, EquiCharge, a leader in fleet transition consulting, identified an opportunity to develop a scalable, adaptable tool tailored for Canadian fleets.
How might we develop a scalable, adaptable solution to support Canadian fleet managers in transitioning to zero-emission fleets?
*For this case study, I refer to the project using the company’s name, EquiCharge, as the product name is currently trademarked and confidential.
To design a product that effectively fills the gap in zero-emission fleet management, we first needed to build empathy for our target users: fleet managers.
With resources provided by EquiCharge—including interview scripts, personas, and industry research—we gained insights into fleet managers' workflows. Although we couldn’t conduct direct interviews due to time constraints, these materials allowed us to understand their roles.
Here's an animation I created to capture the daily experience of fleet managers, along with summary cards that highlight their key challenges.
*Specific details remain confidential due to NDA requirements.
Vehicle Management
Route Management
Driver Management
Strategic Planning
After examining the complex responsibilities of fleet managers, our team was struck by the scale of their workload. This realization drove us to explore how other products address these challenges.
Through competitive analysis, we discovered that mature tools like Webfleet and Samsara excel at digitalizing fleet data, creating virtual replicas that enable real-time tracking of vehicle speed, status, and location. This digitalization significantly lightens the daily workload and, we found, could also play a crucial role in supporting zero-emission goals.
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Our research revealed 4 major insights:
Based on our insights, we collaborated with product managers and engineers to outline a feasible approach within our limited timeframe. We decided to develop an MVP to manage costs, focusing on essential data collection to keep digitalization minimal. The MVP centers on providing adaptive solutions for zero-emission fleet transitions.
How might we create a SaaS web application for Canadian fleet managers to help them transition their vehicle fleets to zero emissions, using essential digitalization and adaptive solutions to support sustainability goals?
Digitalization
Essential digitalization, providing fleet managers with key routes and vehicle information.
Implement Scenario
Fleet managers take action to bring their chosen scenario to life.
Create Scenario
Fleet managers set a future configuration goal, envisioning how the fleet will configure and operate. This target setup, based on specific timeframes, is referred to as a "scenario."
Compare/Link Scenario
Compare two scenarios for the same timeframe—analyzing differences—or link two scenarios across different timeframes to understand their mutual impact.
Optimize Scenario
Algorithms or AI optimize the scenario based on the user’s chosen focus.
To validate our ideas, we conducted few testings with participants, including fleet managers in the industry who were enthusiastic about the product’s potential. Through these tests, we gathered valuable feedback, identifying areas for improvement and making modifications based on their insights.
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In this phase, we focused on capturing essential data about the current fleet through four main areas: Vehicle Setup, Properties Setup, Energy Assets, and Human Resource (HR) Setup. These features collectively enable a digital replicate of the fleet, providing insights into the zero-emission transition and supporting strategic planning.
This step enables fleet managers to set up the foundational information for their scenario, with flexibility to make adjustments as needed before formal transition planning.
This approach addresses a key real-world need identified in our testing: fleet managers require flexibility between the digitalization and transition planning phases to refine the fleet configuration. This freedom ensures that the scenario accurately reflects the current fleet setup, allowing for a more realistic and effective zero-emission transition plan.
This step builds on the scenarios created previously, using AI algorithms trained with the company’s extensive industry experience to refine the fleet configuration. Fleet managers can optimize scenarios based on one of three goals:
This approach supports strategic sustainability transition planning, allowing fleet managers to prioritize based on their business goals. By choosing the focus that aligns with their objectives, they can create a transition path that balances environmental impact, timeline, and financial considerations.
This step helps fleet managers make strategic decisions by comparing and linking scenarios.
After designing our product, we conducted comprehensive usability testing and interviews. This crucial step allowed us to gather valuable feedback from users, ensuring that the final design not only meets but exceeds user expectations and needs. Here are some results:
😊Satisfaction Score
✅Completion Rate
⛔Error Occurrence Rate
Lessons Learned:
Navigating a complex industry quickly through client communication and intensive research.
Using visuals like drafts and wireframes to share ideas and receive actionablefeedback.
Effective teamwork on essential design processes, with individual responsibilities forspecific tasks to enhance efficiency.
Future Aspirations:
Screen Integration: Aim to strengthen connections between different screens forsmoother functionality.
User Testing: Would conduct usability tests with real users to refine and validate ourdesigns.
Interactive Elements: Develop engaging interactive graphs and charts to enhance theproduct’s cohesive feel.
"I had the pleasure of working with Rena on a UX/UI project, and I can confidently say that her contributions were invaluable. Rena demonstrated exceptional creativity and technical skills throughout the project."
A UX designer currently based in LA
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