What do Flip the Fleet participants find most useful?

Your take-home messages:

Participants most value Flip the Fleet’s comparative data, particularly in relation to battery health and how well their car is performing compared to other EVs.  A sense of community and pride in providing useful information for encouraging EV uptake keeps participants motivated to supply data and answer surveys each month. Improvements were requested to expand data input methods and selected indicators, and to increase levels of public outreach, industry and government engagement, and provision of technical resources.

This month’s poll:

Our nineteenth 1-click survey began by asking participants whether Flip the Fleet will succeed in accelerating EV uptake in New Zealand (see https://flipthefleet.org/2018/1-click-survey-19/). Respondents were then asked to add comments and provide answers to six supplementary questions, including.:

A. “For you, what are the two most valuable parts of Flip the Fleet?”

(1) The data reports about my own car

(2) Comparing my EV’s performance against others

(3) The 1-click surveys and the blogs and media releases from them

(4) Background resources provided

(5) Other

 

B. “What are the two most important ways can we improve Flip the Fleet for your needs?”

(1) Create more indicators of EV benefits and costs? e.g. Equivalent number of trees to match your GHG savings or RUCs saved

(2) Give a monthly summary of results for your car or fleet

(3) Provide more help and make data entry simpler

(4) Provide more online help

(5) Improve the website by

(6) Other

The poll was sent to 798 participants in Flip the Fleet on 25 May 2018. There were 430 responses by 5 June, 312 of which provided detailed comments and answers to the six supplementary questions. Respondents were invited to specify details if they chose ‘Other’ and if they wanted improvements to the website in Question B.

Your scores

Participants most valued knowing how they are performing compared to others in the fleet (30% of all choices for this question; Fig.1).   Participants also like tracking their own performance overtime (24%) and also like the access to useful background resources (22%). There was lesser value placed upon the 1-click surveys, blogs and media releases (16%).  Amongst the ‘Other’ sources (7%), value was placed upon Flip the Fleet’s ability to help convince potential EV buyers to gain clarity and confidence about EV ownership, while others simply liked knowing they were a part of an EV movement and contributing to the wider community.

Figure.1 Percent of 498 choices by 312 participants about the most valuable components of Flip the Fleet’s services, May-June 2018.

 

Participants think most improvement will come from providing a monthly summary of results for their car or fleet (38% of all choices for this question; Fig. 2), as well as new indicators that show the benefits and costs of owning and running an EV (27%). Making data entry more simple (14%), and receiving more online help (7%), were thought to bring lesser improvement to the overall Flip the Fleet experience. No one thought the website needed drastic improvement.

Figure 2. Percent of 380 choices by 312 participants in a survey of the best ways to improve Flip the Fleet, May-June 2018.

 

There was little shift in the distribution of the choices for both Question A and B between candidates that selected either 1, 2 or 3 & 4 (combined) to the overarching question (#1) about the effectiveness of Flip the Fleet (Table 1).  However, sceptics (i.e. participants who chose 3 or 4) were more likely to have chosen ‘Other’ for the components that they most valued or would like to see added to Flip the Fleet’s services.  Inspection of the comments suggests the sceptics have only just joined Flip the Fleet and “haven’t yet seen any other data”, or currently value the battery information alone, having “only joined to find out about a solution for 30kW Leaf battery”, or to help build the database to investigate it further. This group would like to see greater engagement beyond those already pro-EV, fuel calculations and analyses that take into account cost-free solar energy contributions, and more technical resources shared as links on the website.

 

Table 1: Responses to questions about the most valuable components and future improvements of Flip the Fleet’s services differentiated between responses that “Strongly agree”, “Agree” or “Neither agree nor disagree” of ‘Disagree” that Flip the Fleet will accelerate EV uptake.  Choices are arranged in order from most frequent to least frequent across all responses to Question#1.

 

In view of the broadly even distribution of responses to questions A and B by people who were more versus less confident that Flip the Fleet is will succeed to accelerate uptake, we have pooled their results in the following more detailed analyses.

What makes you click?

A picture paints a thousand words

Here’s a word cloud of the comments you provided to the Flip the Fleet value question (A), using the ‘Wordle’ package: the larger the font, the more times that word appeared in your testimony (Fig. 3). You can see at a glance that you mostly saw the value proposition around data and information issues, especially around the car’s battery.  It’s good to see emphasis on people (this is a participatory science project with people and their cars at it’s heart!). New Zealand and owners are part of your emphasis. The same sorts of words predominated in comments on question B.

 

Figure 3.  A word cloud of the most frequent 100 words used in your response to the value question of the survey. The larger the word, the more often you mentioned it. Similar words were combined for this analysis to give a better indication of the language used and it’s intent. For example, “compare” encompasses comparing, comparative, compared and comparison, “information” is grouped with info and infographic, and “car” includes cars. Common words such as “EV”, “Flip the Fleet”, “Leaf”, as well as “i.e.”, “e.g”, and “etc.” were removed.

 

Overall, it seems Flip the Fleet is valued at multiple levels.  For example, one participant reckoned it provides “A great place to send people who are looking at an EV”.  Some become better teachers (“My data gives me confidence when I am sharing with others the benefits of an EV”). Another participant emphasised “The social impact the science will have in decision making to de-carbonize our transport system in NZ”.  And thanks to whoever celebrated “being able to email a human at FLIP THE FLEET and getting a personal answer to a problem”.  But we are not inspiring everyone, including whoever said “As yet I get no value from Flip the Fleet as I’m not really into the data. A simple summary now and then would help”.

Choice! Let’s break down this Wordle to see why it appeals to both current owners and potential EV investors.

 

There’s that word again – data!

It seems comparative data is central to the value you see in Flip the Fleet, with several noting that: “I like to get a sense of how others are experiencing their EVs”, “It is good to know what is “Normal” for each type of car”, and “I like the bigger picture that my data informs”. Great, the data you are all helping to provide is adding across the board value and giving a sense of where you place in the EV pack. Sitting here somewhat detached from the EV manufacturing bubble, we agree that “it is important to have a New Zealand independent database” to track EV performance using data collected by our people from vehicles used in our climate (be it environmental, social, or political!). We like this participant’s vision of: “establishing a bank of knowledge of EV use in NZ”.

While some saw value in the data itself in terms of tracking performance, others noted the sharing of the data was important for feeling they were directly involved with like-minded people and immersed in a feel good project. One participant voiced that: “Contributing to the body of knowledge about EV’s in NZ is important to me”, while another realised: “It makes me feel a part of the EV community, even if I haven’t met many, yet”. In support of the community feel the data brings to some, one communicated: “I don’t care too much about the stats and data, I’m just trying to help”. So in some ways, the data valued highly by some is merely a bi-product of the EV movement viewed most valuable by others. It’s great these are seen to be working in harmony – bridging science and peoples’ experiences.

Next on the value scale is “battery”, with the data from “The Leaf battery degradation study” proving particularly useful. An owner commented: “As I have a 30kWh Leaf comparative data allows me to estimate how much useful life remains”, while another joined Flip the Fleet to gain “information on how the fleet (i.e. the fleet’s batteries) is performing overall, so I can compare my car’s performance”. Survey participants were: “Very pleased” we were “investigating the issue of battery life in 30 kW Nissan Leafs”, while others saw value beyond just battery degradation, stating that overall “the potential improvements to our vehicle would be the most important part”. While “battery deterioration is still front of mind” for quite a few of you, value is seen in Flip the Fleet’s wider ability to gain “more strength from knowledge to address future issues or problems that may arise”.

While we try not to get too bogged down in the “30kW battery saga”, it is reassuring that many of you can see other useful components and outputs stemming from the project. Receiving feedback such as: “The experiments coordinated by Flip the Fleet are great, and give us more nuanced information on EV performance in different scenarios” confirms we are filling a need for “original research [into EV battery life] that does not seem to be done elsewhere and is important for the whole industry, as much as it is for the car owners”.

This brings us to the third most valued part of Flip the Fleet according to the Wordle: “information”. After all, the whole point of research is to give us the knowledge we need to more confidently get the most out of our EVs and become informed influencers of change.

Several of you commented a somewhat satisfying outcome of participating in data collection was that you were forced to learn the ins and outs of your EV! A comment shared about this experience explained Flip the Fleet has spurred: “The incentive to get to know my car better, in order to fill in the surveys and forms better”, while another is also now better informed: “We’ve had our Leaf for a couple of years and I’m much more familiar with the details”. Bonding with your EV to grab your data can only be a good thing – both for personal use and for sharing your knowledge with others.

 

This already seems to be the case for one EV owner, who said: “My data gives me confidence when I am sharing with others the benefits of an EV. The background resources provide back up to the questions asked, the fears people have about the change”. Flip the Fleet information is also proving useful both for informal chats to potential buyers: “I often link to the page with the SOH and battery graphs for the different year Nissan Leafs to inform people considering buying a Leaf”, and for group education: “I use the Flip the Fleet data for presentations at a local level”. Fantastic! That’s what Flip the Fleet information is there for. We see no point in creating all of this only for it to sit somewhere collecting dust. It is encouraging to hear from you that: “the data is really important but the info we get back is best”.

In terms of extending the reach of Flip the Fleet information, some of you saw value in our: “media releases backed up with actual evidence – rather than just PR pieces”, while social media presence was also deemed important. One participant observed that: “I see its value in helping to influence others to join, which is important to me too. Following Facebook posts on EV sites I see more first-time buyers asking the same basic questions than anything else (“We are thinking of buying an EV, can anyone help with some information?”). So there is obviously a need there”. Our current model aims to provide information through the website, and from here we count on you to help us disperse as best you can or as much as you wish to. Whether we can dedicate time and attention to active engagement through multi-media will largely rely on funding outcomes (although we try, we just can’t do everything!) – see the survey blog for Question 5 about funding for more info.

We can confirm that: “being able to email a human at FLIP THE FLEET and getting a personal answer to a problem” coupled with “the passion of the people involved to undertake the work to do all these things” will both remain as our goals. We appreciate you taking the time to click, comment on, and wilfully share and share alike so far throughout this EV journey.

 

Room for improvement: what do you most want next?

Gathering data and turning it into reliable information: still a work in progress

Accruing more of our prized “data” should be front and centre in the future focus judging by your room for improvement comments. Suggestions ranged from general data expansion (“We need as much accumulated data as possible”), to providing more specific EV comparisons (e.g. “a running comparison between my EV and others of similar age”), to differences in daily habits (e.g. “more detailed data on charging & usage habits vs battery degradation e.g. owners that slow-charge to 100% vs 80% daily”). Indeed, more robust data “could encourage the uptake of EVs” by “giving more data comparison options”.

Data reporting could include: “additional metrics such as comparing cars SOH by km as well as age”, and “allowing us to see anonymised individual SOH degradation line graphs, not just scatter charts”.

It is evident from your feedback that our data and indicators are covering the umbrella aspects okay, but the want for greater detail and various scenarios would improve your time spent with Flip the Fleet. For instance: “Allow an option to put in petrol price and efficiency of a petrol car to calculate actual savings on my EV. My previous ICE car used 98 fuel and so the savings shown on the website are not a true reflection of the actual amount I’ve saved”. It was also interesting to learn that: “the Tesla related data doesn’t measure degradation. This would be really useful to know. It’s hard to measure accurately but I know of nowhere else in the world that is doing this now”. There you go… you have become world leaders in EV monitoring and evaluation by sharing your data and experiences each month!

Gathering the data is a breeze and pleasure for some, and a pain for others. We received several suggestions for streamlining data collection such as: “You need to have a way to automatically get data from the car, rather than requiring a manual entering process. For instance, having an interface with LeafSpy that, with the right permissions, uploads data when connected”, the “use of Dropbox to automatically upload car data”, and it simply stated that “I just want to email a screenshot of LeafSpy and have it do the rest for me”. It seems data collection and uploading is currently “a little cumbersome”, and participants have “struggled to get an OBD reader to work with my Apple phone”.

Figuring out a way to “push the data from the car so that we do not have to manually enter it”, or linking in with other data collection platforms such as LeafSpy, or perhaps making Flip the Fleet “more tailored to smart phone use” could improve efficiency and reduce frustration surrounding data collection. Immediate, lower-cost improvements could include “links to information on how to use LeafSpy or equivalent or where to get Dongles etc.”, and making the data input portion of the website more mobile-friendly.

More effective communication

Shifting gear from data collection to analysis and results…how do we improve on our reporting? One person would like to see data converted to an environmental impact viewpoint: “I think simple graphic metrics such as the number of trees to match GHG savings provide an immediate emotional feedback stimulus which many people will find motivating”. It turns out that several of you would prefer resources and outputs focus solely upon EV performance. “I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again. Please DON’T go into “number of trees” or anything like that.  What you are doing now is strongly tied to real data.  Once you go into carbon offsets, you open yourselves up to all sorts of criticism that will dilute the power of your message”. Like-minded participants cautioned that: “..the science of how to make that conversion is still fuzzy.  Stick to what you are sure about or you open yourselves up to people catching you out”. Perhaps then, an economic viewpoint would be more relatable to the population at large because: “The benefits of cost savings in terms of running and maintaining an EV are a far more desirable “carrot” to dangle under the noses of the general mass of donkeys. There’s so much ignorance out there, but everyone likes to save money”. It may very well be that “pushing GHGs will push a lot of people away. If they switch to an EV to save money, all the other benefits are automatically included”. These comments point towards more of a “money makes the world go round” approach to reporting, which certainly warrants consideration when designing future outputs.

While we aim to keep EV information as user-friendly and approachable as possible, some of you would like the technical side of EV ownership to be present and unravelled somewhere on the website. Suggestions included breaking the language barrier (“Technical help, particularly in Japanese interpretation as the majority of the fleet are 2nd hand imports from Japan”), and providing repair and maintenance advice (“Please provide tips on maintaining e.g. rusty shocks and how to prevent and other useful bits and pieces for the novice”),  even organising “meetings to help understand the technology and how to make the best use of it”. This could pair well with the recommendations to list: “info on any service providers who specialise in EV maintenance/repairs. Also about battery/cell replacement programs” somewhere on the Flip the Fleet site.

Improving outreach

Moving right along to the social engagement improvement suggestions! Many of you think we can up the level of active engagement we currently have with the wider population to “make public more aware of Flip the Fleet”. As noted by a survey completer: “When I meet other owners I ask if they are contributors to Flip the Fleet. Most are unaware of the importance of their information to the building of a NZ performance database”. If we are aiming to grow our database, we are going to need more recruits!

Greater public engagement could help to “Make it clear that at present, because of NZ’s high level of renewable electricity, changing from driving an ICE vehicle to an EV is the single biggest and most immediate contribution that New Zealanders can make to reducing carbon emissions”. It may involve making “…basic generic information available to interested non-owners”, and having “…some data visible to members of the public who may be interested in EVs and come to the site”. Email could also be a powerful and inexpensive tool to get more people interested in EVs. We could look to implement this idea to: “Periodically send [us] short sharp bullets or links that show the benefits that we can readily share. Send it embedded in an email would be the most effective, as soon as you have to go into a link, you lose interest. Send it with a good to the point subject descriptor. We will share it. Often. Send us the simple maths. Again, to share, in a separate email of its own with a to the point subject descriptor”.

Above and beyond public greater outreach, some of you think Flip the Fleet could improve by engaging directly with industry and government and emphasising their roles in the EV revolution. Ideas to: “Get more political…do surveys about government policy and then publish the results”, and put more energy into “Advocacy for EV owners with vehicle problems such as the 30kWh leaf issue” to “encourage Nissan (or a 3rd party) to provide leaf battery changes in NZ at an affordable, fixed price” are all realised as potential game changers, although we need to be careful and smart about our approach.

Rounding out the improvement feedback were proposed slight tweaks to the existing website and data analyses such as a preference for “the font colour to be black so it is easier to read”, and the request to make “the GHS savings more accurate by allowing the specification of fuel economy of the replaced ICE vehicle rather than using some average figure”. We were asked to “please devote a major page to the fleet SOH graphs and change the x axis on those graph to base 0 so they don’t look as bad as they do and give a false negative impression”, and made mindful of the fact that “the reports & surveys are getting so numerous that it takes a long time to gather their most valuable information”. The email add-on was again mentioned, but this time in the form of “an email reminder just before the end of the month to send in (I know I could set one on my phone)”.

Some other suggestions

Just over 1 in 10 participants had their own ideas for improvements (Other – 13%). These ‘Other’ suggestions included integration of Flip the Fleet data collection with the LeafSpy app, more information about best charging protocols and battery degradation rates, comparisons showing the petrol/diesel and monetary savings per kilometre driven in an EV, and the production of resources to show the different aspects of “a day in the life” of an EV driver. Some of the more detailed suggestions were:

• “Showing examples of how people use EVs and how they make day to day life easier. I think people have got the save-the-planet idea but don’t have the idea that EVs are also very practical and useful”
• “I just need someone to actually set us up to contribute. It won’t get done otherwise”
• “Provide a simple guide of “what to look for” when purchasing at BEV, a “how to charge” best practices, some basic information on the SOH, meaning and what to expect”
• “contests and/or incentives? Win a gift basket for highest efficiency for your model, etc.”
• “I’m interested in actual range and what affects it. I graph actual km, battery SOC from a single change to find the range. It varies a lot probably with ambient temperature.  I think you might be able to collect this type of data from interested people”

Keep on keeping on

Aside from the above, many of you thought what we have built to date is great! “I’m really happy with what you’re doing.  I wish that I had more time available to support what you are doing in a more meaningful way!”. We received timely motivation to “keep up the good work on how to improve the performance of my EV”, and were reassured that “continuing to reinforce the fundamental benefits of EVs for the people who are interested but not yet convinced” would retain Flip the Fleet’s valued properties. It’s rewarding in itself to know that someone has “referred a friend [to you] for advice online which was extremely useful to her in buying her EV”, while others think we are “doing a good job of getting data out there for people”.

Cheers team! It means a lot.

 

Conclusions and recommendations:

Naturally we are chuffed by your positive feedback.  It seems that many of the design features we identified at the outset are working to keep many of you gifting New Zealand your data and knowledge every month (take a look at Report #1 at https://flipthefleet.org/resources/research-reports/ for a review of overseas experience in citizen science.  The high response rate and honest feedback in this and previous 1-click survey is just one example.  Challenge of the veracity of the indicators and debate about their meaning shows that you are far from just being “data slaves” – you are taking a strong responsibility for the integrity and use of the information that we are pooling together in a communal database.  The pleasure you get out of making a difference and being part of a club of citizen scientists is the most important sign of all that Flip the Fleet has a sustainable future, provided it can secure resources to harness your individual energy and knowledge and reflect it both back to you and out to prospective EV purchasers in the wider community.

Of course, there are lots of ways we can improve.  Here are the main priorities based on your feedback:

• Continue to compile individual and comparative data for the participants
• Stand strong on the battery health inquiries – they are of particular value, with many joining to track battery health
• Provide monthly summaries of longitudinal data for a participant’s car so they don’t need to wade through so many individual reports
• Create individualised reports that cover different scenarios e.g. EV type and age, charging method, climate
• Search for ways to automate data uptake
• Develop a lot more challenging and novel performance indicators to keep the material fresh
• Put more emphasis on creating resource material in the background – many people find them as valuable, or even more valuable than the data reports.
• Create more technical reports that clarify EV jargon without too much simplification, as well as quick links to more information, to help owners be better informed rather than overwhelmed
• Keep that excellent Flip the Fleet website growing and deepening – it’s working well

 

Your comments in detail:

Below is a lightly edited and re-arranged selection of many of the comments received.

Which components are most valuable?

Knowing your place in the EV pack

“I like to get a sense of how others are experiencing their EVs” ● “State of the whole fleet SOH is most valuable data” ● “Good to compare” ● “It is good to know what is “Normal” for each type of car” ● “I think the comparative data would be the most useful but I have yet to crack the way to extract the information from my own car!!” ● “I have been too busy to check data reports about my own car but I do find this and comparing against others interesting” ●  “I like the bigger picture that my data informs” ● “As I have a 30kWh Leaf comparative data allows me to estimate how much useful life remains” ● “Information on how the fleet (i.e. the fleet’s batteries) is performing overall, so I can compare my car’s performance” ● “Having the replication provided by other EVs is great”

Getting the heads up about EV successes and concerns

“The Leaf battery degradation study” ● “More strength from knowledge to address future issues or problems that may arise” ● “That my data will help inform the public of the benefits of EVs” ● “Leaf battery problems well publicised and extremely useful” ● “Battery deterioration is still front of mind” ● “Very pleased that you are investigating the issue of battery life in 30 kW Nissan leafs – thank you” ● “Only joined to find out about a solution for 30kW Leaf battery if it keeps dropping in state of health” ● “The information about problems with the Leaf 30kWh battery has been really good – felt reassured that it was being looked into” ● “The 30 kWh Battery problem has been a good example of how this project has brought a potential problem to light” ● “Providing data about the problems with 30kwh leafs” ● ““To find out what is up with the 30kW issue” ● “The potential improvements to our vehicle would be the most important part”

Having a united voice unafraid to speak out

“FLIP THE FLEET investigating the use and cost of EV motoring, battery life and capacity and presenting these issues to media and industry” ● “Having a dedicated and enthusiastic group bringing EVs and their benefits to the attention of news media and the public” ● “There are many EV Users’ groups here in NZ but they alone cannot allow our voice on issues to [be heard] at a national level” ● “Provide evidence for lobbying at a national and international level regarding EV. Battery problems are an example of this”

Forming a tight-knit EV community backed by science

“I want to see EV uptake increase, and Flip the Fleet is a driving force to achieve that” ● “Contributing to the body of knowledge about EV’s in NZ is important to me” ● “It makes me feel a part of the EV community, even if I haven’t met many, yet” ● “I don’t care too much about the stats and data, I’m just trying to help” ● “The surveys are excellent – asking the tough questions in a properly scientific way” ● “Science-based is the key” ● “The concept of citizen scientists and helping to contribute to a larger project” ● “That I’m contributing is important. Just trying LeafSpy” ● “Knowing that other people are passionate about EVs also” ●  “The social impact the science will have in decision making to de-carbonize our transport system in NZ”

 

Gathering real data and growing the research

“More data from being connected all the time” ● “I’m waiting on the data units to arrive so I can start helping with the data” ● “As I have only had my EV for a few months the data is likely to be of more interest in the future” ● “It is important to have a New Zealand independent database” ● “The experiments coordinated by Flip the Fleet are great, and give us more nuanced information on EV performance in different scenarios” ● “Original research into EV battery life that does not seem to be done elsewhere and is important for the whole industry, as much as it is for the car-owners” ● “The trends as to what happens as a vehicle and/or the battery packages, and when does a battery cease to have an effective life” ● “Establishing a bank of knowledge of EV use in NZ”

Providing an incentive to “get to know” your EV

“we’ve had our Leaf for a couple of years and I’m much more familiar with the details.  It’s a whole set of other issues for prospective buyers, compared with newbies, compared with those well into the groove” ● “The incentive to get to know my car better, in order to fill in the surveys and forms better” ● “It focuses our thoughts on use/performance for the month”

Enthusiastic and chatty helpers!

• “Being able to email a human at FLIP THE FLEET and getting a personal answer to a problem” ● “The passion of the people involved to undertake the work to do all these things”

Creating independent EV information that is trustworthy and easy to absorb

“Comprehensive and easy to understand for all us “non-techies”” ● “It’s about understanding the EV scene on a firmer basis than what people get from ad hoc advice on discussion forums” ● “Uptake and travel information here in NZ” ● “Blogs and reports have been very, very useful” ● “Leaf battery problems well publicised and extremely useful” ● “The data reports have a few (some of them known) issues, and I’m not after having the best EV performance. For me, education and information are more important at this stage” ● “Reports” ● “A great place to send people who are looking at an EV” ● “Publicly available factual information about electric cars generally” ● “In depth analysis of the data such as the recent battery life report” ● “A pass on for people who are interested in the electric vehicle” ● “General information” ● “Science-based leadership for independent evaluation of new technology” ● “The data is really important but the info we get back is best” ● “media releases backed up with actual evidence – rather than just PR pieces” ● “Scientific reports”

Share ability of data, blogs and resources

“My data gives me confidence when I am sharing with others the benefits of an EV. The background resources provide back up to the questions asked, the fears people have about the change” ● “I often link to the page with the SOH and battery graphs for the different year Nissan Leafs to [inform] people considering buying a Leaf” ● “Flip the Fleet does not have any effect on my attitude towards EVs. I see its value in helping to influence others to join, which is important to me too. Following Facebook posts on EV sites I see more first-time buyers asking the same basic questions than anything else (“We are thinking of buying an EV, can anyone help with some information?”). So there is obviously a need there” ● “I use the Flip the Fleet data for presentations at a local level” ● “

Unsure/No comment/Other comment

“A bit early to tell – recently joined” ● “I have only just joined and haven’t yet seen any other data” ● “As yet no value as not really into the data” ● “I’m just enjoying my car and hoping non EV owners are interested enough to investigate further re EV ownership and benefits” ● “As I only joined last month I am unable to receive useful data yet. I anticipate that it will be very useful” ● “I’ve only just joined so have yet to fully utilise the info you supply” ● “couldn’t choose, all 4 choices are equally important to me” ● “Only because I am a recent member and I haven’t yet contributed any data”

 

What improvements would add value?

Bigger, better, more robust data and indicators that remain meaningful

“We need as much accumulated data as possible” ● “Comparison with other similar vehicles, i.e. 30kwh LEAF given the identified battery issues” ● “Include battery pack mV difference data!” ● “Let me be a test user for the full time tracking project” ● “Offline tests, perhaps real battery capacity vs SOH?” ● “A graph showing my cars results against others monitored by you” ● “The Tesla related data doesn’t measure degradation. This would be really useful to know. It’s hard to measure accurately but I know of nowhere else in the world that is doing this now” ● “That sort of data is always encouraging” ● “I would like a running comparison between my EV and others of similar age” ● “This could encourage the uptake of EVs” ● “I’m interested in actual range and what affects it. I graph actual km, battery SOC from a single charge to find the range.  It varies a lot probably with ambient temperature.  I think you might be able to collect this type of data from interested people” ● “More detailed data on charging & usage habits vs battery degradation. E.g.: owners that slow-charge to 100% vs 80% daily” ● “Allow an option to put in petrol price and efficiency of a petrol car to calculate actual savings on my EV. My previous ICE car used 98 fuel and so the savings shown on the website are not a true reflection of the actual amount I’ve saved” ● “Include more LeafSpy result entry” ● “giving more data comparison options” ● “Have a monthly report of national stats” ● Display some data rather than just being a collection point” ● “Allowing us to see anonymised individual SOH degradation line graphs, not just scatter charts, would be great” ● “More experiments that we can be involved in” ● “Additional metrics such as comparing cars SOH by km as well as age”

Straightforward, directly-related data that maintains scientific integrity and credibility

“I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again.  Please DON’T go into “number of trees” or anything like that.  What you are doing now is strongly tied to real data.  Once you go into carbon offsets, you open yourselves up to all sorts of criticism that will dilute the power of your message” ● “Hard to say. The eye-catching “number of trees saved” is a bit like the “Olympic swimming pools” -sounds good but not really practical help …” ● “I’ll say again that I am not keen on reporting of “trees saved” because the science of how to make that conversion is still fuzzy.  Stick to what you are sure about or you open yourselves up to people catching you out” ● “Don’t compare fuel use to trees or flights to Europe they are not the same or related.  The only thing that matters is not using fossil fuel” ● “Pushing GHGs will push a lot of people away. If they switch to an EV to save money, all the other benefits are automatically included”

Comparative environmental benefits of owning and running an EV

“I think simple graphic metrics such as the number of trees to match GHG savings provide an immediate emotional feedback stimulus which many people will find motivating” ●

Tweaks to existing website information and layout

“Please devote a major page to the fleet SOH graphs and change the x axis on those graph to base 0 so they don’t look as bad as they do and give false negative impression” ● “This could encourage the uptake of EVs. If the font colour were black the site would be easier to read” ● “I would prefer the font colour to be black so it is easier to read” ● “It’s unclear what month I should be entering in on the website” ● “I do not actually contribute to Flip the Fleet because my wife and I tried to register a username and password and failed!!!” ● “It might be worth considering whether the website puts new recruits off. I think it is important to keep a focus on the main goals” ● “The reports & surveys are getting so numerous that it takes a long time to gather their most valuable information” ● “I don’t look at the website very much which I guess suggests that you could improve it.  But on the other hand I’m already driving one and not going to stop” ● “I don’t think your estimate of the cost of the electricity I use to charge my car is accurate. It does not take account of the amount of electricity I use that is essentially free because it comes off the panels on our roof. I’m starting to take that into account when I choose to charge the car but it can’t always happen” ● “The only thing for me would be an email reminder just before the end of the month to send in info (I know I could set one on my phone” ● “Making the GHS savings more accurate by allowing the specification of fuel economy of the replaced ICE vehicle rather than using some average figure”

Come at it from a $ perspective

“The benefits of cost savings in terms of running and maintaining an EV are, in my mind, a far more desirable “carrot” to dangle under the noses of the general mass of donkeys. There’s so much ignorance out there, but everyone likes to save money” ● ““Perhaps, calculating the volume of petrol/diesel that would be required for km driven. And cost saving based on monthly average fuel price”

Clarify the EV jargon and tech talk

“Technical help, particularly in Japanese interpretation as the majority of the fleet are 2nd hand imports from Japan” ● “What the different data means on a LeafSpy report and how to make sense of it” ● “A good tutorial on using the likes of LeafSpy would be helpful” ● “Provide more links to technical reports and support for EV as that is a large risk in NZ” ● “Most EVs are Leafs, please provide tips on maintaining e.g. rusty shocks and how to prevent and other useful bits and pieces for the novice” ● “Ensuring that Japanese imported vehicles can be readily converted to English (NZ)” ● “Probably a subset of each vehicle type and the more specialised information for each of them. E.g. some more information about LeafSpyPro and the information it supplies in lay man’s terms” ● “More explanation of the technical terms etc. Some of us don’t have the technical background. Meetings to help understand the technology and how to make the best use of it”

Showcase “a day in the life” of an EV owner for widespread appeal

“Showing examples of how people use EVs and how they make day to day life easier.  I think people have got the save-the-planet idea but don’t have the idea that EVs are also very practical and useful” ● “Provide case studies of people who have converted to EV, and why” ● “Give more opportunity for owners to give their ideas on potential vehicle improvements or reasons for vehicle poor performance and feedback on these ideas” ● “I’m also interested in handy hints that other owners come up with. How about a “I just discovered …” section? No one would be worried about being the last to find something out and the rest of us might be very pleased to not have to go through the same learning process”

Build a repository of EV resources

“Provide a simple guide of “what to look for” when purchasing at BEV,  provide a “how to charge” best practices,  provide some basic information on the SOH, meaning and what to expect” ● “Have a repository for articles on range of things including LeafSpy, charging protocol etc.” ● “In terms of improving the website, perhaps a summary of popular myths for EVs along with busting them. Perhaps also a one page summary for curious car dealerships about the few things they need to know about electric cars in order to sell them, .e.g. the importance of battery SOH in cars, and the importance of purchasing a dongle for LeafSpy reports and how to interpret them” ● “More published reports showing the benefits to owners and to society as a whole from the adoption of electric vehicles” ● “Provide links to other research or evidence based information (e.g. links to real facts / costs of lithium mining)”

Repairs, maintenance and replacements – some direction?

“Info on any service providers who specialises in EV maintenance/repairs. Also about battery/cell replacement programs” ● “The key thing I want to know now is how the battery replacement business is developing (sourcing of replacements, support for the industry to grow)” ● “More information on battery life/replacements costs” ● “I had to replace the tyres and accessory battery of my Leaf this past month.  I struggled to find guidance about suitable replacement products that was not tainted by sales bias.  Flip the Fleet could help to collate that guidance.  Maybe the same for selecting a power company” ● “

Actively engage more EV owners, potential EV buyers, and anyone pro-EV

“When I meet other owners I ask if they are contributors to Flip the Fleet. Most are unaware of the importance of their information to the building of a NZ performance database” ● “Make public more aware of Flip the Fleet” ● “Make basic generic information available to interested non-owners” ● “I’m in this mainly to generate data that helps me explain the EV narrative to others” ● “social gatherings or meet ups with a clear emphasis on good hosting, i.e. introducing people to each other. Website is great but there is a lot there” ● “I haven’t joined Flip the Fleet for my own benefit, I joined for the benefit of non EV owners so they can understand the benefits of EV ownership” ● “The challenge is now to get this data into the right hands to drive the paradigm change” ● “Make it clear that at present, because of NZ’s high level of renewable electricity, changing from driving an ICE vehicle to an EV is the single biggest and most immediate contribution that New Zealanders can make to reducing carbon emissions” ● “Have some data visible to members of the public who may be interested in EV and come to the site”

Start letting industry and government know our wants and needs

“Encourage Nissan (or a 3rd party) to provide leaf battery changes in NZ at an affordable, fixed price” ● “Get more political.  National screwed up the EV opportunity but it has continued despite them.  Do surveys about government policy and then publish the results” ● “An update on Nissans response to the failing 30kWh batts would be helpful” ● “advocate for more public charging stations and software regarding charging station availability” ● “suggesting to government where there are holes in the fast charger network (e.g. you try and drive from Nelson toe Christchurch in an old 24kWh Leaf…” ● “Advocacy for EV owners with vehicle problems such as the 30kWh leaf issue” ● “I’d be interested to hear what would happen if you started making Nissan a bit more communicative. There are a lot of Leaf owners out there and Nissan have been approximately useless, I reckon, on a lot of fronts” ● “

Just keep doing what we’re doing!

“I’m really happy with what you’re doing.  I wish that I had more time available to support what you are doing in a more meaningful way!”  ● “Keep up the good work on how to improve the performance of my EV” ● “Seems fine now” ● “The manuals are easy to interpret, as long as you can find the appropriate page!” ● “Continuing to reinforce the fundamental benefits of EVs for the people (non-owners of EVs) who are interested but not yet convinced” ● “Actually the current system works ok for me” ● “Flip the Fleet is at its best when it addresses issues and gathers knowledge to help solve them” ● “I referred a friend to you for advice online which was extremely useful to her in buying her EV” ● “What you are doing is great!” ● “Not sure what to improve, going a good job of getting data out there for people” ● “All good as far as I can see… but keep up the great work!” ● “Other times I delve into the data and seeing each separate chart is intriguing and sometimes a mystery – it makes you think about what you’ve done differently lately to have caused some change.  It’s the efficiency calculations that I find most fascinating – Flip the Fleet is helping me learn to improve efficiency”

Create a dashboard-citizen feedback loop

“Include an online way of commenting on aspects of the dashboard and asking questions (unless I’ve missed these). I can see the odd minor error and question I have that I would like to be able to send while having the dashboard open” ● “Introduce discussion between members i.e. a blog” ● “Periodically send us (and repeat-send us) short sharp bullets or links that show the benefits that we can readily share. Send it embedded in an email would be the most effective, as soon as you have to go into a link, you lose interest. Send it with a good to the point subject descriptor. We will share it. Often.  Send us the simple maths. Again, to share, in a separate email of its own with a to the point subject descriptor” ● “

Merge with other EV platforms for greater collective impact

“I wonder if Flip the Fleet should merge with other existing EV organisations, like Drive Electric, to have more pull. It’s ok to exist separately in the early days, but to really generate momentum, Flip the Fleet might be too small or insignificant on its own” ● “

Facilitate and streamline data input

“You need to have a way to automatically get data from the car, rather than requiring a manual entering process. For instance, having an interface with LeafSpy that, with the right permissions, uploads data when connected” ● “I’m not sure there’s anything cost effective you could do to improve things for me.  For instance, integrating your data capture with the Leaf Spy app would be quite a mission!” ● “Providing more information about the way in which you can extract the data from your car in order to enter into the database” ● “I just need someone to actually set us up to contribute.  It won’t get done otherwise” ● “be good to suck the data direct from LeafSpy or write your own ODBII API etc.” ● “Providing a server for us to transmit LeafSpyPro data directly to you” ● “As per my initial comment, is it possible to automate the data entry? Either via API or in an app that collects stats throughout the month and send a monthly summary?” ● “use of Dropbox to automatically upload car data” ● “data entry a little cumbersome” ● “I have no problem with the data entry but not everyone has a brain like mine” ● “The survey assumes an ability to measure the power supplied to the car – I’m not aware that is available for my i3” ● “In terms of Outlander PHEV data – the Apps grabbing ODB data direct from vehicle to internet (e.g. PHEVWatchdog) are going to generate a very rich source of data – compared to manual monthly” ● “A way to push the data from the car so that we do not have to manually enter it” ● “Easier to enter data from a mobile device, as I’m usually doing it in the car in my phone” ● “Have links that work for my laptop setup! It’s the only website that doesn’t work (or no longer works – it used to) for me, and I have to “borrow” another computer to enter data. I also found when I tried to upload data using my phone that I couldn’t enlarge the screen size and so I was unable to enter data” ● “Allow recording and reporting on full range of battery data available through LeafSpy” ● “My main problem has been my lack of computer expertise and I have struggled to get an OBD reader to work with my Apple phone” ● “Links to information on how to use LeafSpy or equivalent or where to get Dongles etc.  It took me a while to find an iOS compatible dongle, and during those months I had little info to share” ● “I just want to email a screenshot of LeafSpy and have it do the rest for me” ● “More tailored to smart phone use”

Create a dynamic, ever-evolving dashboard

“I’d like more information and advice about home chargers (Halo Wallbox, Juicebox etc) and/or maybe a negotiated discount to acquire one” ● “…news about new EVs, technical advances etc., link to map of location of charge points” ● “Preferably make the monthly summary a dashboard-style format that would present my favourite set of reports/graphs & be customisable by each user” ● “I think the existing charts are useful, but they get a bit stale after a while.  I’d like some more edgy ones for things that I cannot easily estimate for myself.  Sometimes I just want a summary – my month in a glance as one table or infographic would be primo” ● “Contests and/or incentives?  Win a gift basket for highest efficiency for your model, etc.” ● “There are some places where you can get ‘free’ charging e.g. Pak’n’Save in some locations.  Somewhere on the monthly stats we input, it would be a good thing to include” ● “As above, I do not have any personal needs, but the website can be improved to give more information to help tip people into making the change” ● “Leaf battery problems well publicised and extremely useful. Other questions have come to mind but I have not asked Flip the Fleet as yet; e.g. risk of fire in EV’s because of Li gas; news on battery replacement options; news about safe disposal of batteries; news about developments in battery technology and specific comments on how it may impact on my battery replacement in a few years’ time. Report on mechanical faults as they come up so owners know what to prepare for – we have passed 3x WOF so far with tyre wear the only problem on the horizon. Keep us up-to-date regarding Road User Charges for EV’s” ● “Perhaps every month or so, it [the website] could highlight one easy learning step or fact about EVs; the survey is the reader giving to Flip the Fleet. It would be good for Flip the Fleet to give something back” ● “Perhaps a page that gives tips & advice for getting the most out of your EV” ● “battery-warranty advocacy, (co)developing a standard test at point of sale or at AA test point for example, that indicates the health of the EV (when buying now the leaf spy or SOH comes with lots of excuses and error margins, would be great if an industry standard test can be developed)” ● “Suggestions on how to make your battery last best, updates on battery replacement options, new fast charger locations planned, finished” ● “Maybe it’s already there, but I’d like to see material about projections of electricity generation capacity and demand, and how we are going to communicate to NZers that we’ll have to get used to seeing windmills in areas of scenic beauty, especially in Auckland where we still rely on fossil electricity for much of our power. And I heard Carl Baalev speak about it once, and would like someone to confirm his figures!” ● “More how to get an EV, how to convert the fleet, how to deal with range anxiety, what’s the best for my battery or how to care for my battery etc” ● “We are very new owners of an 24kWh Nissan Leaf. When buying, we wanted the biggest battery/range that we could sensibly afford. However, we find the 24kWh battery great in that we can easily get from Wellington to Palmerston North with one quick charging stop at Otaki. It seems to us that if we did longer trips, there might be little difference in overall charging times, e.g. some quick stops with a 24kWh battery versus fewer but longer stops with a 30+kWh battery. More information about this kind of trade off would be helpful” ● “Simplify so dummies can understand” ● “more information about / links to R&D about EV technology. Even investment information to encourage divestment from fossil fuels / reinvestment in EV R&D” ● “Would like further information on how the Nissan Leaf 30 kWh cars are performing. I’d like to know more as I have one” ● “Perhaps provide more info about numbers of EVs, makes, etc. best times to recharge, with and without solar panels, sunshine or cloudy weather”

Unsure/No comment/Other comment

“The other choice options are not particularly important to me personally” ● “I don’t really have needs in this area” ● “Unsure” ● “We would still like to contribute” ● “Nothing to add” ● “it’s fine” ● “Am brand new so not ready to comment yet” ● “Not sure. I have just joined Flip the Fleet and reported just one time so far” ● “Don’t know” ● “

 

Henrik Moller, Hannah Gentle, Dima Ivanov and Daniel Myall

19 June 2018