One of the major advantages of driving a petrol-powered car is that unless you’re deep in the outback or have taken a serious wrong turn in the middle of nowhere, you can always rest easy knowing that a petrol station where you can refuel is never too far away.
Drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) need to be a little more strategic when it comes to refuelling, due to the comparative lack of EV-charging stations, meaning they’ll have to rely on their smartphones having an EV-charging app to help locate the nearest place to power up.
Although around 80 per cent of EV owners worldwide charge their vehicles at home, there’s still a need for public-charging stations for when you’re out and about – there’s no point having a Tesla if you can’t find a Tesla-charging station.
Currently there are over 2300 public charging stations in Australia, with more in the works.
The best way to track them down is to use an electric-car-charging app, of which there are several on the market. Of course, these apps should be your second port of call after your car manufacturer’s app, which for some models will provide in-depth data and unlock useful remote features.
Just be sure to avoid third party apps which only cater to overseas markets, like ChargeHub, which only covers North America and Canada.
With so much EV charging station app choice, we’ve made things easier by narrowing it down to the five best free apps that are suitable for either your Apple or Android smart device, with each app guaranteed to make you an EV-trip-planner extraordinaire.
1. PlugShare
A top score for plug addicts. (image credit: Inside EVs)
There are several charging-infrastructure providers in Australia, and certain apps will only show up certain providers. PlugShare is the number one choice because it doesn’t discriminate in terms of what results it delivers, meaning you’ll get a comprehensive overview of the country’s network of charging stations. The app also covers the US and Europe should you find yourself overseas, and even has a map filter that will break down charging stations by plug type. There are also charging-station reviews that list nearby amenities like wifi, which is a huge help if you’ve got some downtime while your EV charges.
2. ChargeFox
Fox on the run.
ChargeFox claims to be Australia’s largest electric vehicle charging network, with its app helping you to locate one of 1400 plugs across the country that include standard DC (22kW), fast (50kW) and ultra-rapid fast charging (350kW). Handily, you’ll be able to use the app to get real-time information about charger functionality, availability and pricing, giving you the ability to see how much your charge will cost before you even bother plugging in. They’ve also partnered with EV manufacturers including Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Nissan to offer free or discounted charging to EV customers.
3. EV Connect
The EV app that does it all. (image credit: TechCrunch)
EV Connect boast that they’re the most “robust and feature-rich cloud-based software platform” for managing electric-vehicle-charging stations, and their 4.5 and 4.7 ratings on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store respectively prove that they have the goods to back up their big claims. You’ll be able to monitor your charging session in real-time, giving you the ability to accurately plan what you can go off and do while your EV powers up. You can also pay for your charging session on the app, ensuring your experience is covered from go to whoah.
4. Evie
The Evie app will become a necessity as more of these stations pop up.
One of Australia’s emerging charge location operators, Evie was recently granted a solid amount of funding from the federal government’s ARENA grant program, so expect to see a lot more of these stations pop up in all of Australia’s capital cities, particularly around ones on the east coast.
Evie’s app isn’t as slick as the one offered by its larger ChargeFox rival, but it is simple, no-nonsense and allows you to pay in the app.
5. ChargePoint
Straight to the (power) point. (image credit: ChargePoint)
The current biggest global players in EV charging stations are US-based company ChargePoint, which oversees a network of over 114,000 independently owned EV-charging stations operating in 14 countries. That number will drop a bit, however, since the company has recently shut down its Australian operations, leaving several charge stations operational but shut off to remote support (ChargeFox is set to take them over). Regardless, the ChargePoint app is still functional and will lead you to charging stations around Australia, as well as let you know if they’re available for use.
Keyword: EV charging apps: The top 5 electric car apps for owners