With the growing popularity of electric cars, the availability of public electric car charging stations has become a significant concern. Mapping applications such as Google Maps now provide information on the location and availability of public charging stations with 100% time.
The biggest problem for electric car owners was that the charging points they searched for on Google Maps were often closed due to maintenance or some kind of repair work. This situation was very annoying as it was a waste of time and you had to search for another working charging station again.
Google maps
Now Google Maps has solved this problem in its latest update as from now onwards it will tell you about the charging stations with 100% uptime. The new update will filter out the maintenance, repair, unavailable charging stations and show only those charging stations that are currently available or operational.
So how you can use the google maps to find the 100% uptime electric car charging stations? Let’s find out all steps below:
- Turn on the device GPS or phone GPS.
- Now Open Google map ( make sure the version is latest)
- On top; scroll right and tap on more…
- Next scroll down and under serviced or services, tap on charging stations.
- A list of nearest charging points will open, tap on any 1 result which is close to you!
This is they new way to find the charging stations using Google maps and the good thing about the latest Google Map app is that, if it is synced with your car then it will automatically detect the details (remaining battery capacity, car model, charging type) and start notifying you about the nearest charging stations.
All options related to charging stations will be on your screen and you can tap to know more. Its latest AI-powered summaries will help in a better way on how to reach the charging point and also reveal about how many charging ports are available right now at the station.
- The information will be like 1/4 – means 1 charging station available out of 4.
- You can also find about the port speed – is it fast or slow?
- You can check charging type – is it CCS1, or CCS2, or ChadeMO?
- App quick color codes help a lot like light green means available, red means not available.
- You can also check bolt sign – it means fast charging available for your car.
- You can even check about the charging cost and also compare the price with other stations.
- This app will help to find the charging point within 0.5 mi, or 1 km area!
Since everything gets synced with the Google Maps app, the car owner gets accurate and real-time information about EV charging stations. This ensures that the electric car owner does not face the problem of unavailability of charging stations when he reaches the charging station.
Moreover you can know more about the ev charging stations by checking the user reviews and ratings. On Google Maps, users can share their experiences and rate charging stations. High ratings and positive reviews indicate that the charging stations are functional and in convenient conditions.
However, reviews and ratings are based on personal experiences and may not be relevant over time. Therefore, it is important that users look at the latest reviews and get an accurate description of the current status of the station.
Third-party apps
Apart from that the google maps, you can get the charging stations info in real time by installing the third-party apps.
Some specific websites and mobile applications allow users to share information on the status of public charging stations. For example, PlugShare is one such application that allows users to add charging stations, upload their photos, and share their experiences.
Such applications provide users with details of the current status of charging stations and help them find stations with high availability.
Charging stations operators apps
On other hand the charging stations operators are also helpful to locate 100% uptime charging station.
Some charging station operators use monitoring technology that allows them to see the real-time status of charging stations on their network. They can share this information on their websites or mobile applications so that users can easily find nearest available stations.
For example, Tata Power’s website and mobile application allow users to see the real-time availability of charging stations on their network. Such information can help in accessing stations with high reliability.
Google Maps partnerships with large commercial companies
Google itself is partnering with large commercial companies that provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure. For example, Google Maps is integrated with the Valtrac network, which is the largest public charging station network in the US. Such partnerships help Google Maps provide information about charging stations that are always available.
However, it is important to note that the electric vehicle market in India is still developing and it may take time for Google Maps to establish such partnerships with Indian companies.
Users should exercise caution while using Google Maps and other resources
While Google Maps and other resources can help users find available charging stations 100% of the time, users should also rely on other resources for the latest information. For example, they can follow the social media handles of charging station operators or check the latest updates on their websites.
Conclusion
In the world of electric mobility, the constant availability of electric car charging stations is a critical issue. Mapping applications such as Google Maps can help users find charging stations with high availability, but users should rely on a variety of resources to maximize their experience.
User reviews and ratings, third-party review sites, monitoring technology, and commercial partnerships can all help Google Maps provide more accurate information.
Public charging infrastructure continues to expand and electric vehicle adoption in India continues to grow. As more users turn to electric mobility, discovery and navigation of high-availability charging stations will become even more important. Collaboration between technology companies and charging station operators can provide users with better information and experience.
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