Charging stations for electric vehicles are not nearly as plentiful as gas stations. They can also be harder to spot from the road. Thankfully, Google Maps makes it easy to find chargers for your electric car.
Add Your Plug Type
Before we start looking for charging stations, you should tell Google Maps the type of plug your eco-friendly vehicle uses. This will ensure you only find compatible chargers for your vehicle.
Open Google Maps on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Tap your profile icon in the search bar and select "Settings."
Scroll down and select "Electric Vehicle Settings."
Tap the plus icon to "Add Plugs" and choose the plug type for your vehicle.
That's all there is to it. Now Google Maps will know which type of charger you need.
Find EV Charging Stations
Open Google Maps on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Scroll to the far right of the categories listed underneath the search bar and tap "More."
Scroll down to the "Services" section. This will look slightly different on Android and iPhone, but you'll see "Electric Vehicle Charging."
This will bring up a list of results in your area. You can sort by Relevance or Distance, Open Now, Top Rated, and choose plug type---which we already did above.
The results themselves include a lot of useful information as well. You can see the charging speeds and how many charging stations are there. Tap the directions icon to begin navigating to the charger.
Add EV Charging Stations to Route
If you're already driving and you need to find a charging station, you can simply add a stop to your existing navigation route. It works in the same way as adding a gas station---or any other stop---while navigation.
All you need to do is follow the steps in our guide to finding gas on your route with Google Maps, but search for "EV charging stations" instead. You'll see results and you can choose which charger to add to your route.
The world may seem like it still favors gas-powered vehicles, but you don't have to be left out when it comes to Google Maps. Make sure you're taking advantage of all of Maps' features to maximize your trips.