McCharging
Empowering EV Road Trippers: McDonald's Partnership with Electrify America to Combat Range Anxiety
11 WK Independent Study
Hard & Soft Skills
Market Research
User Research
Design Thinking
Industry Trends
Empathy
Problem-solving
Strategic Thinking
Tools
Figma
Photoshop
Illustrator
Blender
Cavalry
Problem
Range anxiety is the fear of Electric Vehicles (EV) drivers running out of charge before reaching driving destination.
58% of electric vehicle owners in the United States reported experiencing range anxiety.
Opportunity
What is the most common thing EV road trippers need while traveling?
Food, amenities, and a charge.
How might we enhance the experience of road trippers by effectively addressing their food, amenities, and EV charging needs?
Insight
Range anxiety is a significant barrier to long-distance electric vehicle travel, as it leads to concerns about running out of charge and limited charging infrastructure availability, resulting in decreased confidence and convenience for EV owners.
There are various factors that contribute to this type of anxiety...
Weather
Terrain
Infrastructure
Temperature
Ownership
Range
Amenities
Solution
McCharging: A partnership between
McDonald's and Electrify America
McDonald's
Extensive real estate and nationwide presence
Integrated McDonald's app with Electrify America's
Making long-distance EV travel more accessible and appealing to a wider range of consumers.
Why Electrify America?
800 stations and 3,600 fast-charging ports across the U.S.
Use of advanced technology that enables fast charging
Powered by 100% renewable energy sources
McDonald's
When taking a road trip one can’t help but notice McDonald’s everywhere.
13,341 locations
4,607 cities
How It Works
Prep For Trip
Download McDonald’s app
Register
Get started - select route
Nav The Way
Select your route
Order food
Reserve your spot
The Spot
Select and reserve a spot while placing your order.
The QR code is your receipt.
Upon arrival...
Locate charging station
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View of pulling up to selected charging space. Through interviews, I found that people want to feel safe in their surroundings while charging, especially at night. With that in mind, I designed a well lit charging station.
View of pulling up to selected charging space.
Scan the QR code received in the app order receipt to start your food order and begin charging. Enjoy McDonald's food and amenities while waiting.
Charging Station Screen Interactions
Oh yes...The Happy Meal
McDonald's reinforces sustainability through play by including a hot wheels toy EV car with every kid's happy meal, promoting environmental responsibility among younger generations.
“While taking action on climate change is challenging and requires significant investment, it is important for the strength of our business now and in the long term.”
-McDonald’s
Freddy, VA
EV Owner
That would be so helpful for us. I would go to McDonald's way more often if there were EV charging stations.
Lucy, VA
ICE Owner
I don't even drive an EV and I think this is a great idea. When I go on road trips I always plan my stops based on McDonald's locations, they are easily found off of the highway.
Patrick, GA
EV Owner
This would be the only reason that I would download the McDonald's app and use it.
Benefits
Business
-Attract new customers and retaining existing ones
-Diversifying business offerings and creating a new revenue stream
-Enhancing brand image and promoting sustainability initiatives
-Building strategic partnerships with technology and energy companies
-Generating valuable data insights on customer behavior and EV use patterns
Consumer
-Reduction in range anxiety
-Enhanced customer experience with added amenities
-Easier access to charging stations during long distance road trips
-Enhancing EV user experience through tech and innovation
-Ability to plan and navigate charging stops using a familiar app
McFlection
This project showcases McDonald's commitment to sustainability and innovation while driving traffic to its locations. By implementing McCharging it displays the importance of collaborating with industry partners to stay competitive and relevant in an ever-changing market. There were many layers to consider in taking on a project like this but through my research, looking at trends, and just good old fashion talking to people (in and outside of the EV community) there is large need for this to happen. If McDonald's does not do this one of their competitors will.