Apology Strategies to Reduce Electric Vehicle User Frustration

Abstract

The probability of abnormal charging termination due to charging pile faults is high. Drivers often experience frustration due to charging failure, which affects their long-term willingness to drive EVs. Existing studies have demonstrated apology strategy as a potential method to reduce frustration. However, there are no studies on apology strategy in the charging abnormal termination scene. A Wizard-of-OZ experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of in-car robotic agents' apology feedback and facial expression on users' emotion. The results showed that the participants were less frustrated and more satisfied when robotic agents apologized. Compared with "neutral" expression, the application of "shyness", "embarrassment" and "sadness" expression could significantly alleviate frustration, with apology feedback combining best with "shyness". The results of this study can provide innovative ideas for improving the charging experience of EV users.

Keywords: Apology, Frustration, Electric Vehicle, User experience, Intelligent agent

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1001976