Electric Vehicles (EVs) are an emerging technology and open up an exciting new space for designing in-car interfaces. This technology enhances driving experience by a strong acceleration, regenerative breaking and especially a reduced noise level. However, engine vibrations and sound transmit valuable feedback to drivers of conventional cars, e.g. signaling that the engine is running and ready to go. We address this lack of feedback with Heartbeat, a multimodal electric vehicle information system. Heartbeat communicates (1) the state of the electric drive including energy flow and (2) the energy level of the batteries in a natural and experienceable way. We enhance the underlying Experience Design process by formulating working principles derived from an experience story in order to transport its essence throughout the following design phases. This way, we support the design of a consistent experience and resolve the tension between implementation constraints (e.g., space) and the persistence of the underlying story while building prototypes and integrating them into a technical environment (e.g., a dashboard).

The lack of sound and vibration while starting the drive system of an electric vehicle (EV) is one of the major differences compared to a conventional car with a combustion engine. Most EVs provide a visual feedback about the energy level to the driver. With Energy Flow (see Figure 1), we test if there will be a benefit in terms of attractiveness through adding audible or haptic feedback. First results show a positive effect by addressing several senses -but disprove the hypothesis "the more the merrier".

The Periscope is an interactive device supporting passengers in a car to explore the outside environment. Following an experience design process, we trigger positive emotions by addressing psychological needs: (a) The exploration of interesting places around the car addresses the need for stimulation. (b) When passing the Periscope on to others, discoveries can be shared and discussed, creating a feeling of relatedness among the group. We provide insights on the importance of the experience story throughout the design process and details on the interaction concept for the Periscope. Based on the story and a storyboard, we built three hardware prototypes at different early stages of the process, allowing to evaluate whether the story can be experienced during the interaction with the Periscope. Results show that early experience prototypes, implemented with regards to the story, are essential to maintain the designed experience throughout the development. With this case study, we continue the quest of introducing the car as a design space to create meaningful experiences.