As an electric vehicle owner, keeping your battery charged is essential to enjoying the benefits of driving electric. While home charging overnight is convenient, public charging stations provide range confidence for longer trips and peace of mind in case of emergency. The good news is that public EV charging stations are becoming more widely available across cities and along major travel routes.
Locating Public EV Charging Stations
To locate public EV charging stations near you or along your route, there are several useful resources.
- Electrly’s EV Charging Stations Near Me page allows you to search for stations by address, city, or zip code. You can filter by connector type, network, and availability to find compatible and available stations. The map view shows station locations, details, and amenities at a glance.
- PlugShare is a popular app and website for finding EV charging stations. They have the largest public database of charging stations, with over 200,000 stations worldwide. You can search for stations along your route for road trips and filter by network, connector, and charging speed. They also allow you to check real-time availability and leave reviews for stations you’ve used.
- ChargeHub is another useful app for locating EV charging stations. They provide an interactive map to search for stations by location, as well as a list view organized by distance from your search location. You can filter for fast charging stations, get turn-by-turn directions, and see details on each station like the number of ports, connector types, and network operator.
- Many charging networks like ChargePoint, EVgo, and Greenlots also have station locators on their websites and mobile apps. While they will primarily show their own network’s stations, some also include select partner stations. These can be a convenient option if you have a membership or prefer using a particular network.
Using these helpful resources, EV drivers have access to the necessary information to locate a variety of public charging options when at home or on the go. With an ever-growing charging infrastructure, EV travel is becoming more convenient and worry-free.
Charging Options: Level 2 vs DC Fast Charging
For EV owners away from home and public charging station operators, Electrly makes two main options for charging your vehicle on the go: Level 2 charging and DC fast charging. Both provide power to your EV’s battery, but there are some key differences to consider based on your needs.
Level 2 charging, also known as public charging, typically provides 3 to 7 kW of power which can add 12 to 25 miles of range per hour of charging. These chargers are often found at destinations like shopping centers, hotels, and workplaces. While slower than DC fast charging, Level 2 is convenient for longer stops and overnight charging.
DC fast charging, on the other hand, can provide 50 to 350 kW and add up to 200 miles of range in 30 minutes. These fast chargers are ideal for quick top-ups during road trips. However, fast chargers tend to cost more per kWh and can impact your vehicle’s battery life over time with frequent use.
For most EV owners, a combination of Level 2 and DC fast charging will suit your needs. Use Level 2 charging when possible for lower costs and less wear on your EV’s battery. Then utilize DC fast charging strategically for longer trips to minimize charging downtime. With some planning, you can enjoy the benefits of driving electric without worry.
Does this help provide an overview of your options for charging on the go? Let me know if you have any other questions. Electrly is here to support you in the transition to electric vehicles.
Using Mobile Apps to Find and Pay for Charging
Locating Public Charging with Mobile Apps
To find public EV charging stations on the go, the two most popular mobile apps are PlugShare and ChargePoint. These apps allow you to see charging stations nearby your current location using your phone’s GPS. You can filter by connector type, network, and availability to find a charger that meets your needs.
PlugShare crowdsources data from charging networks and individual EV drivers to provide the largest database of public charging stations. The app shows the location, hours, and details on amenities for each station. You can check real-time availability and comments from other drivers about their experience using the chargers. PlugShare works with most major charging networks, like ChargePoint, EVgo, and Greenlots.
ChargePoint
ChargePoint operates one of the world’s largest EV charging networks with over 112,000 public and private charging spots. Their mobile app provides access to ChargePoint stations as well as roaming network partners. You can start, stop and pay for charging directly through the app using your ChargePoint account. The app also provides charging station availability, notifications when your vehicle has finished charging and reports on your charging history and costs.
In addition to locating public charging stations, many of these mobile apps allow you to pay for charging directly using your account with the network operator or a linked credit card. This allows for a convenient charging experience without having to use separate payment methods at each station. As more public fast charging stations are installed along major roadways and in communities, mobile apps will make it increasingly easy for EV drivers to get out and go electric.
Click here – What Is Large Scale Industry?
EV Charging Stations of the Future: Solar Powered and Wireless
As electric vehicle (EV) adoption accelerates, the demand for public charging infrastructure increases. The EV charging stations of the future will need to keep up with the pace of progress. Two promising technologies on the horizon are solar-powered and wireless EV charging stations.
Solar-Powered Charging
Solar-powered EV charging stations harness energy from the sun to charge vehicles. They are self-sustaining and eco-friendly since they don’t rely on the electrical grid. Companies like Electrify America and EVgo have already started installing solar-powered chargers at select locations. As solar technology improves and costs decrease, more widespread adoption of solar-powered EV charging is likely.
Wireless Charging
Wireless EV charging uses electromagnetic fields to transfer energy between two coils—one on the charging pad and one on the vehicle—to charge the vehicle battery without a physical cable connection. Major automakers like GM, BMW, and Nissan are testing wireless charging and planning to offer it on future EV models. Wireless charging is convenient since drivers just park over a charging pad, but it is currently more expensive and less efficient than plug-in charging.
As EV charging stations of the future, solar-powered and wireless technologies can help expand access to charging for more drivers. Solar energy and wireless charging also align with the sustainable and innovative vision of the EV industry. While still limited, as these technologies improve, they are poised to transform the EV charging experience to be more seamless, self-sufficient and eco-friendly. The future of EV charging is bright.
Overall, by diversifying energy sources and removing cables, the EV charging stations of the future will make recharging EVs simpler and more sustainable for all. EV owners will have more options to conveniently charge at home, at work or on the go.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many convenient options for charging your electric vehicle on the go or near your destination. With charging stations popping up at places you already frequent like grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers, range anxiety is becoming a thing of the past. The increasing number of fast charging stations also means you can get back on the road quickly. The future of electric vehicle travel is bright. You’ll be able to go wherever you want in your EV confident there’s a charging station nearby when you need it. The open road is calling – just plug in and go!