Now Google Maps will help you find the nearest charger for your EV
If you have an electric vehicle, car or bike, you are probably familiar anxiety. Or the fear of running out of power with no charging point nearby. To solve this particular fear of most EV drivers, Google map has introduced an EV charging station map feature.
While there are comparatively few electric vehicles, Google maps is taking its growing demand into consideration. It had launched its global EV Charging Station map service elsewhere in October-December last year and now has rolled out the feature in India.
But iphone users will have to wait a little longer as the service is only available for android users. The popular navigation app has started adding information about electric vehicle charging stations.
How to find the nearest EV charger?
In order to find one near you, just do a normal search within the app for either “EV Charging” or “EV Charging Stations,” when you do, Google will show you the nearest stations to you. It will also show you information about the business where the station is located, the kinds of ports available, the charging speed, and how many charging ports are available. So now, you can pick the one that is compatible with your vehicle.
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Also to make this service all inclusive-businesses that have charging stations on their property will be able to add this information on Google Maps. Furthermore, drivers will be able to add more information via ratings, reviews, photos, and questions/answers.
The app, however, will not show whether the station is occupied hence, EVS will have to head to the station to find that out. But then, maybe with a future update, Google Maps will be able to share this information too.
Google is not the first to roll out this service in India. Another app called PlugInIndia was launched way back in 2016 and the app is available in IOS and android platforms. Outside India, Plugshare, Open Charge map, ChargeHub and Chargemap are quite famous. Companies like Tesla also offers a map that shows its supercharger network. As EVs continue to increase in popularity, the demand for a better charging infrastructure is also needed. Until EV charging stations are as ubiquitous as gas stations, many drivers will have to rely on these great apps or websites to find a charging station when they are in need.
