Fragmented Charging Held Back EV Adoption
A top 10 global automotive OEM offered a popular line of electric vehicles, but the EV landscape presented challenges that limited wider consumer adoption. Prospective customers hesitated to buy an EV because of battery range concerns and the time required to charge.
The fragmented national infrastructure of charging networks, and the incompatibility of charging stations across brands, deepened that hesitation. To grow EV adoption, the OEM needed to address charging accessibility concerns and improve the customer experience around them.
A Single App for a Bigger Network
The OEM diagnosed that charging accessibility was a key point of friction. The leadership team’s strategy was to build on its existing EV charging subscription program, which was available through a mobile app. The upgraded plan would extend the network of chargers customers could use by adding access to the leading supercharger provider.
A top 10 global automotive OEM made a strategic decision to partner with Perficient to integrate the two networks into a single customer experience. The plan included a complimentary supercharger adapter for each customer and a way to unify billing across the two different networks.
Integrating Two Incompatible Networks
The program began by designing two customer paths: one for existing subscribers and one for new customers. Both paths captured shipping information for the adapter, and the program grandfathered existing subscribers into the new plan. The mobile app was integrated with the subscription platform so customers could track adapter delivery status, with email notifications to keep them informed.
The more difficult problem was billing. Customers could already pay for charging on the OEM's native network through the app. Bringing in a third-party provider introduced incompatible billing systems and charge data records (CDRs). The program updated the OEM's billing system to accept and process CDRs from the third-party provider through existing customer accounts.
A Broader Network and a Bigger Subscriber Base
The launch gave customers access to a larger and faster charging network than before. Within the first month, the OEM recorded more than 105,000 adapter orders and 55,000 new subscribers. These results were a clear signal that charging access was a primary concern holding back broader EV adoption.
The launch was the first in the industry to offer this kind of cross-network integration, drawing significant media attention. For subscribers, the program delivered one app, one bill, and access to two charging networks. It removed one of the biggest barriers to wider EV ownership.
What This Signals
Platform investments create strategic options. Because the OEM had already built a flexible retail subscription services platform, it could move quickly to address a market friction point. The integration turned a customer barrier into a competitive advantage.
What's Next
The 55K subscribers added in the first month are more than a launch metric — they're an emerging digital relationship the OEM didn't have before. The platform that made the integration possible is the same platform that can carry whatever comes next: personalization, loyalty, deeper integration with the dealer network, or new EV launches that lead with the charging ecosystem as a differentiator. The infrastructure is ready. The choices ahead are about what to build on it.
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