The first question that is often asked about an electric vehicle (EV) is “what is the range?” Most electric cars have a range that is comparable to a gas powered car with a full tank of gas. Most EV owners charge their cars overnight, at home, but public charging stations are useful for longer trips. Most EVs have an EV charging station finder in their navigation systems, and Apple just announced that they have included this feature in their new version of Apple Maps, soon to be released.
There are some tools and apps that can be useful for finding a convenient charger, or for planning a longer road trip. If you are considering or already own an EV, you may want to download some or all of these apps. Plugshare is the best charger finder for almost any location you choose. If you are looking for a charger in a parking garage, or near a destination, Plugshare is a helpful tool. If you are going on a road trip, A Better Route Planner (ABRP) enables you to quickly plan your charging stops. You can plan a trip using ABRP, and then export the plan to Google Maps to navigate the trip on your car using carplay.
Each charging network has its own app, and these are usually needed to do the actual charge. Each charging app finds its chargers but usually does not find other company chargers, which is where Plugshare comes in handy. It is easier to download and set up an account for each of the networks you might use before going on a trip. The attached image shows some of the more common EV charging networks.
Standardization is coming, and these chargers will soon be able to recognize your car when you plug in and bill you accordingly. For now, however, these apps help make EV trip navigation easier.
