Google Maps for Android should soon be enhanced with a handy feature. Electric car drivers will be able to plan their route based on available charging stations. An option that already exists on Android Automotive.
Google Maps should be enriched with a feature already present on Android Automotive, a variant of Android that is deployed directly on dashboards. Since 2021, its Google Maps application has made it possible to plan a route according to the charging stations available on the route.
Not all electric vehicles benefit from Android Automotive. Some models come with proprietary OS. To locate the charging stations, users must then go through third-party applications (via Android Auto or the on-board infotainment system). However, this invariably involves switching between them and conventional navigation. Which provides a very choppy user experience.
Read > Recharging your electric car in Paris now costs you twice as much as a full tank of gas
Google Maps: how to plan a trip with charging stations?
So far it is not possible to plan a complete route with charging stations on the Android app. Since last year, Google Maps has simply allowed you to opt for the most fuel- or power-efficient route. While rummaging through the code of version 11.65 of Google Maps, our colleagues from 9to5 Google found clues to the future arrival of the feature.
It will probably be possible to obtain a route, calculated automatically according to the charging stations and the needs of the vehicle. And this directly from Google Maps Android app. However, we do not yet know how the latter will manage to calculate in real time the remaining autonomy of your battery. It will probably be necessary to inform its maximum capacity in advance and indicate which vehicle you are driving.
Our colleagues have nevertheless recognized that their interpretation of the indices could be imperfect and that it was thus possible that the expected functionality takes another form. However, the error messages identified seem unequivocal:
- Upon arrival, your battery will be low
- Charging stop required to reach destination
- Trip too long to automatically add charging stops. Add stops after starting.
- No Internet. Unable to find load stops.
- There are not enough compatible charging stations to reach your destination
