Image by Waze
Waze can finally help you locate and drive to nearby electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the US, letting you find EV pit stops just as easily as you would a gas station. You can also search for charging stations along your route, which should make it a bit less stressful to find a place to juice up your EV if Waze is your preferred navigation app.
Photo by Waze
Waze is partnering with Volkswagen for the initiative. As part of the campaign, you can switch your car icon within the app to Volkswagen’s all-electric ID 4 SUV (in case you’re tired of polluting the virtual air in your cartoon smiley face on wheels).
This may give the Google-owned navigation app the boost it needs to catch up with its more mainstream counterpart, Google Maps, which has been displaying EV charging stations since 2018. Google Maps also lets you filter the stations by EV charger plug types, shows you which stations are currently in use, and even uses AI to help you plan trips with your EV.
It’s also worth mentioning that Apple Maps introduced a feature in iOS 14 that lets you plan your route around EV charging stations. If your vehicle is compatible with the app, Apple Maps can even track your charge and automatically add compatible charging stations to your route if your charge gets too low.