Woohee Byun
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Clean Energy Hour


Bridging future mobility and everyday energy use through smarter EV navigation where drivers can charge EVs with renewable energy based on time and location.






TEAM
Jaeyeon Hwang, Uijin Yang, Myeongyun Hong
ROLE
Strategy, copywriting, UX design
DURATION

8 weeksRECOGNITION

Cannes Future Lions

PROBLEM
While the global electric vehicle sales increase 35% from 2022, most of the drivers are unknowingly still using fossil fuels to charge EVs.
OUTCOME
A Volvo navigation system that notifies drivers of charging stations and the time when 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 the 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, electric 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 the EV market and drivers’ motivation for purchasing EVs. I have found:

  • The main motivation for people to buy an electric car is that it helps 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 a 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 most of the 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 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 that 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 the 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 locations 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 a charging station where they can use the renewable energy instead of fossil fuel. Based on drivers’ time and location, different renewable energy are 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.

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    ©Woohee 2025