Find a Charge For Your EV with These Smart Apps

As automakers continue to roll out new electric vehicles, drivers may worry about finding charging stations when on the go.

While most EV owners are likely to charge at home or work, they may have difficulty navigating the network of chargers available when away. Here are four smartphone apps available on both iOS and Google Play to help locate a battery boost.

PlugShare

More of a community than an app, PlugShare helps you find public charging stations. It also lists private chargers by EV owners who are willing to help other drivers.

The filter options are extensive, allowing you to search for chargers based on plug type, charging speed and price.

You can also leave tips and reviews to make suggestions for other EV users.

ChargePoint

Connect with thousands of chargers across Canada and around the world with ChargePoint. It’s also compatible with other networks for EV charging, such as Blink, EV Connect, Flo and Greenlots, even if you don’t have their dedicated app.

Quickly find the location of the nearest EV charging station right from your smartphone.

You can also receive notifications when your car is done charging or when a nearby station has an open spot.

Electrify Canada

Quickly find an EV charging spot close by and see charger availability in real-time using Electrify Canada. Or receive an alert when a spot becomes available.

Outlets with 350kW power cost $0.57 per minute, while 90kW costs $0.27. You can also see the number of DC fast chargers of each type (CCS and CHAdeMO) at a station from the app.

Tesla App

If you’re a Tesla owner, check your range from anywhere, set charge limits and view your history with the Tesla app. And while on the road, easily find charging stations near you.

You can also analyze your vehicle’s charging behaviour and see how it relates to your spending with the Charge Stats feature.

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To learn more about electric vehicles, visit CAA National Electric Vehicles.

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