Volvo: Clean Energy Hour | Car Navigation System

Bridging Future Mobility and Everyday Energy Use Through Smarter EV Navigation






Project OverviewAs a Cannes Future Lions brief, Volvo challenged us to find a new and innovative solutions to prove the brand as pioneer of the protection of people and planet.

Clean Energy Hour is a digital platform where drivers can charge their EVs with renewable energy based on time and location instead of fossil fuels.
Role
Strategy, copywriting, UX design

Team
Jaeyeon Hwang, Uijin Yang, Myeongyun Hong
Duration
2 months

Recognition
Cannes Future Lions

ProblemWhile the global electric vehicle sales increase 35% from 2022, most of the drivers are unknowingly still use fossil fuels to charge EVs.
Outcome
A navigation system that notifies drivers of charging station and time where they can use the renewable energy instead of fossil fuel.







Final Design

Navigation to Clean Energy Station


Find the most nearby charging station with clean, renewable energy at the moment.


Smart Charging History


Track your charging history on Volvo app and learn how much you saved, both money and fossil fuel.



Outdoor Billboard


Learn what renewable energy can be used to charge your EV at what specific time based on your location.












Market Analysis

Electronic Vehicles are becoming popular and popular


According to ACEA, electronic vehicles including hybrid and plug-in hybrid took up 44.1% of new cars in 2022. In fact, a record 1.2 million EVs were sold in the U.S. in 2023, which led to the 7.6% EV share of the total U.S. vehicle market.







User Research

Why are consumers demanding EVs nowadays?


Secondary research was conducted to understand the current status of EV market and drivers’ motivation of purchasing EVs. I have found:

  • The main motivation for people to buy an electric car is because they help the environment (YouGov, 2020). 
  • Over 57% respondents of Plugin America indicated it is “very important” or “vital” that the electricity used to power EVs comes from renewable energy source.







Problem Identification

Drivers are unaware that charging EVs often relies on fossil fuels


While the main motivation for people to buy an EV is to help the environment, users are unaware of where the most of electricity comes from - fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. It means there is still emission involved, which reduces the potential impact users can create.












Ideation

Is the fossil fuel really the only way to charge EVs?


EVs can be charged using power from renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, hydro, and tidal.

We found out some electricity suppliers offer less expensive and more sustainable electricity at specific times of the day. Cleaner time is different based on the location since each state generates electricity with different renewable energy.









User Journey Map

No extra step, simply implement the solution into existing flow


Without requiring drivers to take an extra step to participate in Clean Energy Hour, we added a simple suggestion step when they make charging decisions - drivers get notified of available location and time for renewable energy charging.












Solution

A navigation system that guides drivers to eco-friendly charging stations


Clean Energy Hour navigation system notifies drivers of charging station where they can use the renewable energy instead of fossil fuel. Based on drivers’ time and location, different renewable energy is available to them.



















Outcome & Impact

Where It Landed


Clean Energy Hour won the Cannes Future Lions, recognizing our ability to turn a socially driven concept into a functional, emotionally resonant product. More importantly, the process deepened my belief that constant communication and iteration are essential not just for alignment, but for unlocking unexpected ideas. It taught me how to grow a concept from spark to system, balancing impact, usability, and collaboration skills I now bring into every team I join.







Reflections

What did I learn from this project?


Design within mental models
This project reminded me that good design doesn’t fight user behavior—it aligns with it. I learned to respect and work within users’ existing mental models rather than trying to change how they think or act. The more intuitive the interaction feels, the more trust and adoption we gain.

Simplicity isn’t optional, it’s critical
Designing for an in-vehicle navigation tablet showed me just how high the stakes are when users are distracted. For drivers, safety and clarity go hand in hand. Every element needed to be minimal, glanceable, and predictable. This sharpened my skills in reducing friction and prioritizing what truly matters on screen.