Electric vehicle ownership is on the rise, which means more people are looking for ways to charge their car — whether they’re on the go or planning their drive. To help EV owners access more helpful information about charging stations, Google is rolling out new features for Google Maps and Search. With these updates you can easily find specific information about the location of EV chargers, plan charging stops for road trips and more.
Easily find exactly where charging stations are located
Navigating to charging stations and finding exactly where the chargers are located — like the right area of a multilevel parking lot — can be tricky. In the coming months, Google will start showing AI-powered summaries in Google Maps that describe a charger’s specific location based on helpful information from user reviews, so you can find exactly where to go. For example, when you’re headed to a charging station you may see a detailed description, like “Enter the underground parking lot and follow the signs toward the exit. Just before exiting, turn right.”
This information is possible thanks to the millions of reviews posted every day in Maps, which help provide accurate and up-to-date information about places like charging stations. To help make these even more useful, reviews about chargers now prompt users for additional details about your experience, like what type of plug you used and how long you waited.
Find the best charger for you while you’re on the go
Google employees are thinking about other ways we can give people helpful EV charging information at a glance. For example, if you’re low on charge while on the road or you need to top off while running errands, soon you’ll be able to see nearby chargers on the in-car map, with information like real-time port availability and charging speed. This update will roll out globally, starting with vehicles with Google built-in the coming months.
See suggested charging stops, forecasted energy consumption and more when you plan a trip
In addition to showing you where chargers are at a glance, they want to help you take more complex trips easily. Last year Googleannounced that Maps suggests the best charging locations for vehicles with Google built-in. This capability is expanding to multi-stop trips. So if you’re planning a multi-stop summer road trip to several national parks, Maps will suggest the best charging stops along the way, based on battery charge level. This feature will be available globally in the coming months for vehicles with Google built-in.
And if you’re planning overnight stays, Google has got you covered, because the last thing you want to do after a long day of driving is hunt around for a charging station. With othenew EV filter on google.com/travel you can find hotels on Search that offer onsite EV charging.
Whether you’re planning a summer road trip or looking for a last-minute charge, Maps and Search can help you find the charging information you need.