Electric vehicle charging station is an important link in the electric vehicle industry chain, and its development level and service quality directly affect the popularity of electric vehicles and user satisfaction. With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, the number and scale of charging stations are also expanding, but at the same time, the competition of charging stations is becoming more and more fierce. The operators and investors of charging stations are faced with multiple challenges, such as how to improve the utilization rate of charging stations, reduce the operating costs of charging stations, improve the service level of charging stations, and increase the revenue sources of charging stations. In order to meet these challenges, operators and investors of charging stations need to understand the market demand and user preferences, formulate reasonable development strategies and marketing strategies, optimize the layout and design of charging stations, provide differentiated and personalized services, and enhance the brand influence and user loyalty of charging stations. Consumer research is an effective means to obtain these information and data. Through consumer research, charging station operators and investors can understand consumers' charging needs, charging habits, charging preferences, charging experience, charging satisfaction, and charging willingness., Charging options and other aspects, so as to provide basis and support for the decision-making of charging stations.

The purpose of consumer research is to address the concerns of charging station operators and investors, providing valuable information and data. Therefore, the purpose of consumer research should be clear, specific, quantifiable, and actionable, rather than vague, general, difficult to measure, and difficult to implement. For example, the purpose of consumer research can be:

Understand the overall satisfaction of consumers to the charging station and the satisfaction of various services, evaluate the service quality and user loyalty of the charging station, find out the advantages and disadvantages of the charging station, and put forward suggestions for improvement and optimization;

Understand the charging needs and charging habits of consumers, analyze the charging behavior and charging mode of consumers, predict the charging willingness and charging potential of consumers, and formulate reasonable charging prices and charging policies;

Understand consumers' charging preferences and charging choices, analyze consumers' charging decisions and charging influencing factors, evaluate the competitiveness and market share of charging stations, and formulate effective marketing strategies and brand promotion;

Understand the charging experience and charging experience of consumers, analyze the charging needs and charging expectations of consumers, design differentiated and personalized services, and enhance the user experience and user value of charging stations.

The method of consumer research is to collect and analyze valuable information and data for the purpose of consumer research. Therefore, the method of consumer research should be scientific, reasonable, effective and reliable, rather than random, blind, ineffective and untrustworthy. For example, consumer research methods can be:

Questionnaire survey: through the design and distribution of questionnaires, the basic information of consumers, charging situation, charging evaluation and other data, statistical analysis and description analysis, to obtain the charging characteristics of consumers, charging satisfaction, charging demand, etc.Conclusion；

In-depth interviews: Through in-depth face-to-face or telephone communication with consumers, collect data on consumers' charging feelings, charging expectations, charging suggestions, etc., conduct content analysis and theme analysis, and obtain consumers' charging experience, charging preferences, charging choices, etc.Conclusion；

Focus group: by inviting consumers to participate in group discussions with moderators, collect consumers' charging views, charging problems, charging needs and other data, conduct dialogue analysis and interactive analysis, and obtain consumers' charging opinions, charging difficulties, charging potential, etc.Conclusion；

Field observation: Through direct observation of consumers' charging behavior and charging environment at charging stations, collect data on consumers' charging modes, charging influencing factors, charging services, etc., conduct behavioral analysis and situational analysis, and obtain consumers' charging habits, charging decisions, charging feelings, etc.Conclusion。

The index of consumer research is to measure the effect and value of consumer research, evaluate and improve the quality and level of consumer research. Therefore, the indicators of consumer research should be representative, comparable, measurable, and improved, rather than irrelevant, difficult to compare, difficult to measure, and difficult to improve. For example, the indicators of consumer research can be:

Survey coverage: refers to the number and proportion of charging stations covered by consumer research, reflecting the breadth and scope of consumer research, the higher the better;

Research participation rate: refers to the number and proportion of consumers participating in consumer research, reflecting the depth and efficiency of consumer research, the higher the better;

Research accuracy: refers to the correctness and validity of the data collected by consumer research, reflecting the scientificity and reliability of consumer research, the higher the better;

Survey satisfaction rate: refers to the degree of satisfaction of consumers with the process and results of consumer research, reflecting the service level and user value of consumer research, the higher the better;

Research impact rate: refers to the degree of influence of the information and data provided by consumer research on the decision-making and improvement of charging stations, reflecting the effect and value of consumer research, the higher the better.

The application of consumer research is to use the effect and value of consumer research to enhance the development and competition of charging stations. Therefore, the application of consumer research should be targeted, strategic, innovative and sustainable, rather than purposeless, strategic, innovative and non-sustainable. For example, the application of consumer research can be:

Optimize the layout and design of charging stations: according to the charging needs and charging habits of consumers, analyze the charging distribution and charging flow of consumers, determine the best location and number of charging stations, optimize the space and facilities of charging stations, and improve the utilization of charging stations And attractiveness;

Provide differentiated and personalized services: according to consumers' charging preferences and charging choices, analyze consumers' charging decisions and charging influencing factors, design different types and levels of charging stations, provide diversified and customized services of charging stations, and enhance the user experience and user value of charging stations;

Formulate effective marketing strategies and brand promotion: according to consumers' charging experience and charging feelings, analyze consumers' charging evaluation and charging reputation, determine the core advantages and competitiveness of charging stations, formulate reasonable prices and preferential policies for charging stations, and enhance the brand influence and user loyalty of charging stations;

Improve and optimize the service quality and level of charging stations: according to the charging satisfaction and charging suggestions of consumers, analyze the charging problems and charging difficulties of consumers, find out the service short board and improvement space of charging stations, improve the service process and service standards of charging stations, and improve the service quality and level of charging stations.

In order to better demonstrate the effect and value of consumer research, this paper combines the consumer research case provided by Shangpu Consulting Company for a charging station operator, and briefly introduces the following:

Case background: The charging station operator has nearly a thousand charging stations across the country, mainly serving individual consumers and corporate customers, but it is faced with problems such as low utilization of charging stations, high operating costs, poor service levels, and a single source of income., I hope to understand market demand and user preferences through consumer research, and improve the development and competition of charging stations.

Case Purpose: The main purpose of the consumer survey of the charging station operator is to understand the consumer's charging demand and charging habits, analyze the consumer's charging behavior and charging mode, predict the consumer's charging willingness and charging potential, formulate reasonable charging price and charging policy, understand the consumer's charging preference and charging choice, analyze the consumer's charging decision and charging influencing factors, and evaluate the competitiveness and market share of the charging station, develop effective marketing strategies and branding.

Case method: The main method of consumer research of the charging station operator is: questionnaire survey and in-depth interview. The subjects of the questionnaire survey were consumers who had been charged at the charging station. A total of 1000 questionnaires were distributed and 800 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a recovery rate of 80%. The content of the questionnaire includes the basic information of consumers, charging situation, charging evaluation and so on. The subjects of the in-depth interviews were typical of consumers who had been charged at a charging station, and a total of 20 interviews were conducted for about 60 minutes each. The content of the interview includes the consumer's charging feeling, charging expectation, charging suggestion and so on.

Case results: The main results of the consumer survey of the charging station operator are: the consumer's charging demand and charging habits show diversified and personalized characteristics, the consumer's charging behavior and charging mode are affected by many factors, the consumer's charging willingness and charging potential are quite different, and the consumer has different expectations and feedback on the charging price and charging policy; consumers' charging preferences and charging choices show the characteristics of differentiation and selectivity. Consumers' charging decisions and charging influencing factors are affected by many factors. Consumers have different cognition and evaluation on the competitiveness and market share of charging stations. Consumers have different needs and suggestions on the marketing strategy and brand promotion of charging stations.

Case application: according to the results of consumer research, the charging station operator has carried out the following applications: optimizing the layout and design of charging stations, adjusting the location and quantity of charging stations according to the charging distribution and charging flow of consumers, optimizing the space and facilities of charging stations, and improving the utilization rate and attractiveness of charging stations; Providing differentiated and personalized services, according to consumers' charging decisions and charging influencing factors, designed different types and levels of charging stations, provided diversified and customized services of charging stations, and improved the user experience and user value of charging stations; formulated effective marketing strategies and brand promotion, determined the core advantages and competitiveness of charging stations according to consumers' charging evaluation and charging reputation, formulated reasonable prices and preferential policies for charging stations, and enhanced the brand influence and user loyalty of charging stations; the service quality and level of the charging station are improved and optimized. According to the charging problems and charging difficulties of consumers, the service shortcomings and improvement space of the charging station are found, the service process and service standards of the charging station are improved, and the service quality and level of the charging station are improved.

Case evaluation: The charging station operator is very satisfied with the effect and value of the consumer survey, and believes that the consumer survey provides valuable information and data for the development and competition of the charging station, and provides the basis for the decision-making and improvement of the charging station And support, provide evaluation and feedback for the service quality and level of the charging station, and provide improvement and creation for the user experience and user value of the charging station.

ConclusionConsumer research in the electric vehicle charging station industry is an important work, and its effect and value depend on the purpose, method, index and application of consumer research. Consumer research should be aimed at solving the concerns of charging station operators and investors, collecting and analyzing valuable information and data as a method, evaluating and improving the quality and level of consumer research as an indicator, and promoting The development and competition of charging stations are applied. As a professional consulting service organization, Shangpu Consulting Company has rich experience and ability in consumer research, which can provide comprehensive, professional, efficient and high-quality services for consumer research in the electric vehicle charging station industry. to help charging station operators and investors maximize the effect and value of consumer research.