Inspiration
As a team we wanted to pursue a project that we could see as a creative solution to an important issue currently and may have a significant impact for the future. GM's sponsorship challenge provided us with the most exciting problem to tackle - overcoming the limitations in electric vehicle (EV) charging times. We as a team believe that EVs are the future in transportation and our project reflects those ideals.
What it does
Due to the rapid adoption of EVs in the near future and the slower progress of charging station infrastructure, waiting for charging time could become a serious issue. Sharger is a mobile/web application that connects EV drivers with EV owners. If charging stations are full and waitlists are too long, EV drivers cannot realistically wait for other drivers for hours to finish charging. Hence, we connect them to EV owners who rent their charging stations from their home. Drivers have access to a map with markers of nearby homes made available by the owners. Through the app they can book availability at the homes and save time from waiting at public charging stations. Home owners are able to fully utilize their home chargers by using them during the night for their own EVs and renting them out to other EV owners during the day.
How we built it
The app was written in JavaScript and built using React, Express, and MongoDB technologies . It starts with a homepage with a login and signup screen. From there, drivers can utilize the map that was developed with Google Cloud API . The map allows drivers to find nearby homes by displaying markers for all nearby homes made available by the owners. The drivers can then book a time slot. The owners have access to a separate page that allows them to list their homes similar to Airbnb's format. Instead of bedrooms and bathrooms though, they can list their charger type, charger voltage, bedding availability in addition to a photo of the home and address. Home owners have the option to make their homes available whenever they want. Making a home unavailable will remove the marker from the drivers' map.
Challenges we ran into
As a team we faced many challenges both technical and non-technical. The concept of our project is complex so we were heavily constrained by time. Also all of us learned a new tool in order to adapt to our project requirements.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
As a team we are really proud of our idea and our team effort. We truly believe that our idea, through its capability to utilize a convenient resource in unused home chargers, will help contribute to the widespread adoption of EVs in the near future. All of our team members worked very hard and learned new technologies and skills to overcome challenges, in order to develop the best possible product we could in our given time.
What we learned
- Express.js
- Bootstrap
- Google Cloud API
What's next for Sharger
- implement a secure authorization feature
- implement a built-in navigation system or outsource navigation to google maps
- outsource bedding feature to Airbnb
- home rating feature
- develop a bookmark feature for drivers to save home locations
- implement an estimated waiting time based off past home charging experiences
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