- Google Maps will now show the availability of the Tesla Supercharger
- Charging stations out of service will be easily identifiable
- Tesla has opened its network to several rival automakers
Tesla owners have long benefited from the company’s mapping system, which takes live data from the extensive Supercharger network and intelligently directs drivers to the nearest, fastest and most available concession stands.
However, with Tesla opening its network to other manufacturers, such as Ford, Kia, and more, it was up to Google to offer a similar service, and the tech giant now lists live availability data for Tesla Superchargers across North America.
This follows reports earlier this month that Electrify America, one of the largest public charging providers in the US, also just integrated its live charger information into the popular mapping app.
The presentation of this data is relatively simple. When you search for a Supercharger near you now you not only receive important information such as the speed of the charger, address and contact details (if any), as well as its opening hours, but also the number of available positions.
This makes it easier to not only plan a route, perhaps selecting those charging providers with the fastest and most abundant plugs, but can also help during a trip, so that users are not directed to congested charging locations.
That said, Tesla charging stations can only be used by vehicles with compatibility with the North American charging standard, or through an adapter that the manufacturer usually sells separately.
Good news for the US, old news for everyone else
While Google’s recent integration is good news for EV owners in the US, it’s something the UK, Europe and many other markets have been using for several years.
In many markets, charging providers are required by law to share data through an open API, which enables navigation software, both on smartphones and in vehicle infotainment systems. to display this type of information.
A quick search for “EV charger” via Google Maps in the UK, for example, will return a list of all the charging providers in the area, almost all of which will have “live” data to show how many are available, or if any are out of service.
Of course, the information Google displays is only as good as the data source it uses, and from personal experience some charging providers are much more reliable than others.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
