How to find charging stations for electric cars on Google Maps
This page was translated using AI and machine learning.
(Pocket-lint) – Google Maps has added the ability to find electric vehicle (EV) charging locations, providing additional convenience functionality for electric vehicle drivers.
The new feature is available in the UK and US and will display charging points from a wide range of different charging networks.
All you have to do on Google Maps is search for ‘electric vehicle charging stations’ and it will search for chargers in the immediate area, returning information about the type of charger available so you can make sure you can plug in your car. You’ll also be able to see if the charger is in use or if it’s available (although we’ve yet to see this reflected on maps in the UK).
A December 2019 update to Maps lets you designate the type of plug you’re using – J1772, CCS (Combo 1), Type 2, CCS (Combo 2), CHAdeMO, Tesla – so you don’t have to worry about whether a station will have the appropriate charger. This makes information comparable to Zap Map.
Adding information on electric vehicle charging is potentially useful for those planning longer trips and wondering where they can stop and charge, or looking for a charging point near a vacation destination.
So if you use Google Maps for navigation, you can plot a route and then find EV charging stations, making it easy to add a charging stop to a route. If you are an Android Auto fan and regularly drive with Google Maps, this is useful additional information.
There’s one thing to watch out for though: it doesn’t always know if a charger has restricted access or is private. For example, if a charger is in a parking lot behind a barrier, or attached to a particular room, it may be marked but not actually accessible to the public.
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This article was first published on April 23, 2019 and has been updated to reflect new app features.
Written by Chris Hall.