The electric vehicle industry has blossomed over the past few years. A lot of the credit for this goes to the growing mass consciousness concerning climate change and the impact of fossil fuel-powered vehicles on greenhouse gas emissions globally. Further credit goes to the integration of gamification into the electric vehicle industry which broke the monotony of electric vehicles and driving in general.
Additional credit for the rise of the electric vehicle industry goes to the improvement of battery technology and integrating IoT technology with electric vehicles. This has made electric vehicles semi-autonomous since IoT technology enables them to communicate with their owners, manufacturers and service stations. This communication is often about what needs changing and what requires updating.
However, many critics believe that the growth of electric vehicles is likely to plateau if they cannot engage users better. So-called ‘petrol heads’ dislike that electric vehicles have taken the fun out of driving since the cars can basically drive themselves and even service themselves in some cases, like the Teslas.
However, the electric vehicle industry has no cause for alarm as the solution to the driver engagement problem already exists in gamification. With gamification, electric vehicles can tremendously increase driver engagement and even re-invent what a car is capable of.
Why the electric vehicle industry needs gamification
There are two significant reasons why the electric vehicle industry needs gamification, namely;
Driving electric vehicles is boring: Electric vehicles can drive themselves and even tell the driver when they need servicing, and what specific parts need changing, so there is precious little for the driver to do.
However, with gamification, drivers have an opportunity to engage with their electric vehicles differently. Gamification not only brings the fun back to driving, but it re-invents it, creating an entirely new different driving experience and culture.
Electric vehicles are platforms to provide mobility services: Unlike fossil fuel-powered cars, electric vehicles easily integrate with IoT technology making it easy to run software applications. This integration changes the concept of a car into a marketplace where manufacturers and other vendors can sell products and services to car owners.
However, such an undertaking requires significant engagement from electric vehicle owners, which is only possible through gamification.
What needs to change in EV Design to increase driver engagement?
Design Electric vehicles with unique, engaging user journeys: With Electric vehicles, designers and manufacturers have the opportunity to re-invent the car. They can create new gamified user journeys that can break the monotony of car ownership and turn cars into exciting places for social interactions and community building.
Leverage the Octalysis Framework for human motivation: Eight Core Drives motivate humans to engage with anything. Helping electric vehicle owners achieve some of these Core Drives would help increase engagement with the electric vehicle industry. The best way to accomplish this is with gamification. Here are some of the Core Drives electric vehicle owners can realize through gamification:
- Electric vehicle owners can do much more with their cars than other car owners.
This increased sense of ability gives electric vehicle owners a sense of empowerment, which is Core Drive 3 in the Octalysis Framework. - Electric vehicle owners can also join communities and networks with other electric vehicle owners of similar brands and participate in group activities, challenges and tasks. This makes it possible for electric vehicle owners to belong to communities and exert social influence, Core Drive 5.
- Electric vehicle owners can also benefit from the randomness and unpredictability of the daily tasks and activities they can participate in as part of the driving experience. This is Core Drive 5 in the framework.
Are you interested in learning more about gamification for the electric vehicle industry? Contact us today for a free consultation.
