With the EQ Ready App, Mercedes is reinventing the test drive.

Electric is the way of the future when it comes to cars —and an increasingly climate-minded population. But as EV enters the mainstream consideration for car shoppers, many still have questions and concerns around making the switch. Drivers often cite range anxiety as a reason they stick with ICEs (cars with internal combustion engines).

To help drivers understand the benefits of EV —and start envisioning themselves behind the wheel in one— Mercedes-Benz created “EQ Ready”—an app capable of tapping into phone sensors to track drives and collect data to predict how much energy an EV would use on trips, and how many trips an EV could fit into a driver’s routine before requiring a charge.

It was critical that drivers need to do very little. Just hit start and the data is all captured automatically.

Still, the initial user experience had low engagement. So Mercedes hired our digital agency to help rethink the experience. A new EQ Ready app was needed - one that's more immersive and emotionally-driven to clearly guides potential EQ buyers toward next steps to purchasing a car.

Our idea was to focus on a short-term high value tool to help gain knowledge, versus a tool everyone needs to use for years on end. We wanted to offer and easy-to-use way to gain confidence in EV.

So with the new EQ Ready, you can:

-Track emissions

-Map your frequent routes

-Generate reports

-Access custom content

Our product strategy was built around three key KPIs: promote registration to capture more user data, deepen ongoing engagement to advance users through the EQ sales funnel, and drive monetization to connect users with the right cars, products, and services.

With these goals in mind, we made the experience more functional while evolved its look-and-feel. We streamlined onboarding and highlighted a clear value proposition.

At the end of seven days, customers can see whether they are ready for an electric car.

Users can easily compare their existing car to an EQ car, and with each test drive, they receive an immersive and shareable report.

At the end they have a better understanding around whether their unique commuting and driving styles mean being better suited to a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle.

Making a choice to go electric is smarter for the environment. It's an investment in humanity. But that doesn't make it easy. Being smart requires planning and sound information.

So our approach was ensuring we could provide a really smart experience that helps make decision making simpler. We ensured that in addition to being easy to use the app had smart features. For example, it takes into account environmental conditions into such as outside temperatures and personal driving behavior, our algorithm calculates your personal electric energy needs.

The new app launched in October 2020.

So far there have been 1.7 million journeys through the EQ app and it’s rolled out to 30 countries worldwide.