Working as an interaction designer within GM led to a number or occasions on which I was able to see and comment on the development of mobile applications for different vehicles. From my perspective, they were all disappointing. The work that I saw centered around a tired set of features that turns your phone into a keyfob. I decided as a part of Research and Development it was within my mandate to make a mobile application that demonstrated a new piece of automotive functionality within the mobile space. I hoped that such an application would help change the idea of what a mobile application for a GM vehicle could be.

The Volt is unique in the history of GM – a production powertrain in which an electric motor drives the wheels. This electric motor is powered by a large battery pack in the vehicle that can be charged off of a wall socket and once depleted, a small on-board gasoline engine. This architecture provides the opportunity for a user to drive their vehicle solely off of electricity from the power grid, achieving an incredibly efficient driving experience.

However, this highly efficient driving experience is only achievable if the user drives primarily within the range of the electrical charge of the battery. During my initial ideation I realized that although the vehicle provides a simple numeric representation of remaining electrical range, there was no effective way of understanding wether your next trip would push you into the realm of burning gasoline.

I had found a need that if filled would allow the user to make driving decisions based on their vehicle’s actual and future range. Not only had I found our opportunity, but it was something that belonged on a mobile device. By freeing the information from the vehicle, the driver is able to easily make driving decisions that allow them to be a more efficient and environmentally friendly driver. This led to the development of a fully functional iOS application  based on my UI designs and the algorithm development of a colleague and eventually a patent.

Try out an interactive prototype that I built here.

If you’d like to know more about this project, please feel free to download and read this .pdf.