Based on its crowdsourced map-editing feature, the mobile Waze app now displays accurate information about EV charging stations along your route.
- What’s happening? Mapping software Waze has launched a new feature to enable drivers to quickly identify charging stations for their electric vehicle (EV).
- Why care? Thanks to crowdsourced information and its local editors, Waze hopes to save you from outdated or unreliable charging station information.
- What to do? Keep the Waze app updated to access this feature. EV charging stations will be automatically highlighted on the map.
Waze now shows you EV charging stations along the route
The feature is available to some users starting today, but the company cautions that it will take several weeks to roll it out globally. If you don’t yet see EV charging data when planning a trip in Waze, check back a few days later or try manually updating the app by clicking the Update button on the Waze page on the App Store.
Once you enter information about your car and your preferred plug type into the app, Waze will highlight nearby EV charging stations along your route, including such information as working hours, distance, location and compatibility with your vehicle.
The problem with EV info in mapping apps
Inaccurate EV charging information often plagues mapping apps. Waze hopes to solve this problem by leveraging its community editors and crowdsourced map editing features to review and update submitted EV charging information.
Charging station information is often inconsistent, outdated or unreliable, creating a major pain point for EV drivers who may navigate to a charging station only to discover they can’t find it or use it. By adding up-to-date EV charging information to the Waze map, it’s even easier to charge your car and get help finding where or when you’ll come across the next station.
Waze’s route-planning feature briefly showed EV chargers in 2021 as part of a trial that lasted a few weeks. A company spokesperson has confirmed to The Verge that EV charging information is now permanently available in the Google-owned app.
If you haven’t used Waze, it’s an app for satellite navigation that uses crowdsourced information to provide the most accurate estimation of travel times and more.
EV route planning with Apple Maps
Apple added EV route planning to its Maps app on iPhone, iPad and Mac with iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS Big Sur and later. The feature helps eliminate range anxiety by considering factors like terrain elevation, weather conditions and the current charge of your vehicle to show you the most relevant EV charging stops along your route.
For further information about this feature, read our tutorial explaining how to use electric vehicle routing in the Apple Maps app on the iPhone.