Google Maps Supports Chargemaster, EVgo, and SemaConnect in the US and UK
Google first added EV charging locations to Maps last October. At the time, the service would show you the number of chargers at each location as well as their wattage, pricing, and reviews from other drivers.
However, now, by simply searching for “ev charging stations,” Google Maps users can see the real time availability of charging ports in the U.S. and UK. Charging points from Chargemaster, EVgo, and SemaConnect are currently supported, with ChargePoint’s chargers being added soon.
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- Local EV charging stations are shown along with whichever chargers are currently in use. Image: Google
Absent from the new list of supported chargers are Tesla’s Superchargers, which were part of the original announcement last year. They’re still listed in the app however they just don’t appear to show the new real-time charging information. For Tesla drivers, this isn’t much of an issue as the car’s built-in charge routing tells you real-time availability information.
One of the drawbacks to this feature is that the availability of charging points is not integrated with the navigation feature; a service google maps is primarily used for. Like petrol stations, cafes, restaurants etc; EV charging stations can be programmed into a route to notify the driver of their proximity as they pass through an area. However whether they are in use or not must be searched separately from the destination.
This makes the feature some-what limited when compared to Tesla or PlugShare’s services. However, Google Maps are still in the preliminary stages of integrating these features and at the rate they are bringing significant upgrades to the service, there is no doubt that these issues will be addressed in time.
Author: Ajeet Panesar
