3 Google Maps Features Every Electric Vehicle Owner Should Know

Google Maps is often the first stop when planning a road trip. The maps and navigation service has a lot to offer, from its seamless local search and free turn-by-turn navigation to transit directions and traffic information. The app also comes with several useful features that may prove useful to electric vehicle (EV) owners, as their road trips often involve a bit more planning, given that charging infrastructure isn’t as ubiquitous as finding a gas station.

Google Maps can not only help you find EV charging stations along your route, but also help you plan your overall trip more efficiently, taking your EV needs into account. Most importantly, since it is completely free to use, there is no reason not to make the most of it for a better overall electric vehicle experience. While Google Maps is certainly essential, there are also two other popular apps: PlugShare and A Better Routeplanner (ABRP), which can help you with your electric vehicle travel.

One of the latest additions to Google Maps – AI-powered battery forecasts – makes planning your trip much simpler. Instead of doing all the range calculations yourself and then identifying charging stops, you can simply let Google take care of it for you. It will use your electric vehicle model details and your battery level when you start driving to automatically recommend when and where to charge. Google Maps calculates these stops based on your car’s battery size, real-time traffic information, road elevation, and weather, all of which can impact your vehicle’s battery consumption.

This feature is currently available on more than 350 EV models that support Android Auto. You can take advantage of this by adding your electric vehicle information to Google Maps and entering a destination. The maps will show you estimated battery usage, then you can add your current charge level to get charging stop recommendations, the estimated battery level when you arrive at your destination, and the updated estimated arrival time after accounting for charging stops. With all of this information in hand before you even start driving, you’ll have less range anxiety and more confidence taking your electric vehicle for a long road trip.

As you probably already know, Google Maps can help you find electric vehicle charging stations around you or along your route. However, it can do much more. The Maps app can tell you in real time how many charging ports are available at a particular station, how quickly they can charge, and even whether or not they’re currently occupied. Although this information is increasingly available for most charging stations, you may still encounter some charging stations without all of this information. If you use the Google Maps app on your phone, you can also get information about supported payment methods and whether the charging station has been used today, which can help you determine if the charger is in working condition.

When searching for charging stations, Google Maps also allows you to filter stations based on their compatibility with the sockets you added in your electric vehicle information and whether the charging speed is fast, very fast or ultra-fast. You can also filter based on operating hours.

If you own a car with built-in Google apps, including Google Maps, you have access to some electric vehicle features that can help you with your daily commute. Some of the automakers that offer cars with Google built-in include Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan, Polestar, Renault, and Volvo. One of the most useful features you have on an electric vehicle with Google Maps built-in is “battery on arrival.” When you search for a location or your destination on Google Maps, the app will tell you the estimated battery percentage when you arrive. Additionally, as you drive, this value will update in real time.

If your car’s current charge isn’t enough to reach your destination, Google Maps will automatically add charging stops along your route and include the expected duration of your trip. Google will also highlight nearby charging stations and display available charging ports along with the charging speed. Plus, like Google Maps on other platforms, you can search for charging stations and filter them according to your needs right in your car.