Toyota’s new app rewards EV and PHEV drivers for charging, since it doesn’t happen enough

Toyota introduced a new “science-backed” app that rewards EV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivers for charging their vehicles. Why? Because, according to Toyota’s own research, PHEV drivers don’t plug in often enough.

Toyota develops an app to reward EV drivers for charging

Hybrid vehicles and Toyota are nearly synonymous at this point. Toyota launched the Prius, the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, back in 1997.

Just under three decades later, the Prius is now in its fifth generation, and Toyota offers over 16 hybrid vehicles, two PHEVs, and one all-electric model in the US (two, if you include the Lexus RZ).

Although Toyota is committed to offering vehicles across all powertrain options (EV, PHEV, and hybrid), the company believes it has found another way to cut emissions.

The Toyota Research Institute’s Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI) division developed an app, Charge Minder, that “applies behavioral science to EV charging.” It basically turns the charging experience into a game with rewards for charging streaks and “encouraging messages.”

The app also includes education quizzes to teach you more about your vehicle and when the best time is to charge up for maximum cost savings.

Toyota’s research found that, in the US, “behavioral interventions increased charging by 10% for plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) drivers.” Satisfaction among the PHEV drivers rose 16 percentage points, bringing it to 100%

In Japan, PHEV and EV drivers shifted to charge during peak renewable charge times by 59%, which Toyota said added nearly 30 hours of daytime charging per vehicle, per day.

“This research and development shows how science-based behavioral interventions can both help us reduce carbon emissions as much as possible, as soon as possible, and increase customer satisfaction,” Dr Gill Pratt, chief scientist and CEO of the Toyota Research Institute, said.

Toyota’s app (ChargeMinder) integrates over a dozen science-backed “interventions” that are designed to promote better charging habits.

Electrek’s Take

It’s no secret that Toyota is sticking to its roots and will continue to offer PHEVs and hybrids, alongside all-electric vehicles, for the foreseeable future.

Most PHEVs nowadays offer between 20 and 50 miles of electric driving range, which is plenty for most daily commutes. However, there’s one issue. PHEV drivers are not plugging in as they should and are primarily using them as traditional gas-powered vehicles.

A report from the European Commission last year found that PHEVs pollute more than they are promoted, largely because drivers are not plugging them in.

New findings from earlier this month revealed that carmakers are misleading buyers about PHEVs, with real-world emissions that are multiple times higher than what they are documented to be.

Can Toyota’s app really help cut emissions? Maybe a little, but battery electric vehicles EVs are still the most effective way to truly make a difference and pave the way for sustainable transportation.