Route to Sustainability

Seeing electric vehicles (EVs) on the road is the norm in 2023, and the popularity of this more sustainable mode of transport is clear. However, the hundreds of thousands of electric vehicle owners in the UK are still facing one major frustration when it comes to longer journeys and it is all to do with uncertainty around charging up.

Researchers at Southampton are seeking to address this problem by developing an app which uses AI to provide electric vehicle drivers with the optimal charging stops for their journey needs and requirements. Dr Elnaz Shafipour, a Research Fellow in the School of Electronics and Computer Science, working on citizen-centric AI systems explained, “We are aiming to address the problem of range anxiety and encourage the further uptake and use of electric vehicles by making it easier to plan longer journeys.”

evtonomy

The app is named evtonomy, because it gives EV drivers autonomy over their charging experience. The AI platform transforms the EV driving experience by focusing on the needs and preferences of the user rather than just displaying basic information on the location of charging points.

World-leading AI expert and Turing Fellow Professor Seb Stein developed the app with Elnaz: “We surveyed over 1,200 EV drivers, asking them about their experience of charging on long journeys. The survey revealed that over a third were dissatisfied. We saw this as a real opportunity to utilise AI to address that need in the market and drive motivation to use EVs.

“But we wanted it to be more than just a GPS system. Our app works to help drivers find charging stops based on their preferences. They can choose between high speed versus low cost, and personalised routes are offered accordingly, based on factors such as charging speed, predicted queuing time, and facilities with a summary of total cost and total time provided, so they can make a choice.”

Citizen-centric

Seb has a Turing AI Acceleration Fellowship on Citizen-Centric AI systems. Within that, he and his team are looking at how AI can address big societal challenges like sustainability, while putting the citizen at the heart of these systems.

“I really think AI and computer science have the potential to help us reach net zero, but the AI must take a human-centred approach,” he outlined. “As such, within our app, we learn a driver’s preferences from their interactions and previous choices. This then helps us make better, personalised recommendations over time.”