Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
Google Maps is already the world's top choice in the mobile navigation space, but as the automotive industry evolves, Google has no option but to align its software with the latest trends in the business.
Electric cars are the latest big thing in the car world, and the number of zero-emission vehicles on the road keeps increasing worldwide.
Google Maps already supports EVs for better routes and charging stations, but the Android Auto version just received a small tweak that some people will receive in the app.
If you've used Google Maps, you probably know that the application includes shortcuts for the most popular points of interest, such as restaurants, pharmacies, ATMs, supermarkets, and gas stations. However, with the adoption of electric vehicles improving fast and Google Maps also serving as their preferred companion, the gas station shortcut doesn’t make much sense.
Gas stations point drivers to places where they can stop and fill the tank with petrol or diesel, so displaying this button in Google Maps on an electric vehicle is a waste of space.
Google has decided to update Google Maps to address this shortcoming. If you use the navigation app in an electric vehicle, you'll no longer see the gas station shortcut but a button pointing you to charging stations. The feature is only rolling out to EV drivers on Android Auto, but I expect the company to eventually expand the availability to everybody running Google Maps.
The only requirement is to configure Google Maps for an electric vehicle. In other words, you must configure your car profile and select the EV option – you get bonus features if you also select the charger type and speeds; this way, Google Maps will always look for charging stations that match your vehicle.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the feature is live on Android Auto but not Android devices. An Android smartphone powers the Android Auto experience, so running Google Maps on a mobile device should offer the same features. It's not the case this time, as the charging station shortcut is only available on Android Auto, whereas the mobile device still has the traditional gas station shortcut even if the user previously configured an EV shortcut.
Google Maps can eventually provide more advanced functionality on an electric vehicle if it receives access to more car data. On Android Automotive, Google Maps can read the battery range and look for nearby charging stations when the battery level doesn’t allow the driver to reach a destination. The application only searches for compatible charging stations based on vehicle specifications, and in some cases, it can also check the availability of each plug. Android Automotive runs at the vehicle level and does not require a mobile device to run.
Google Maps already supports EVs for better routes and charging stations, but the Android Auto version just received a small tweak that some people will receive in the app.
If you've used Google Maps, you probably know that the application includes shortcuts for the most popular points of interest, such as restaurants, pharmacies, ATMs, supermarkets, and gas stations. However, with the adoption of electric vehicles improving fast and Google Maps also serving as their preferred companion, the gas station shortcut doesn’t make much sense.
Gas stations point drivers to places where they can stop and fill the tank with petrol or diesel, so displaying this button in Google Maps on an electric vehicle is a waste of space.
Google has decided to update Google Maps to address this shortcoming. If you use the navigation app in an electric vehicle, you'll no longer see the gas station shortcut but a button pointing you to charging stations. The feature is only rolling out to EV drivers on Android Auto, but I expect the company to eventually expand the availability to everybody running Google Maps.
The only requirement is to configure Google Maps for an electric vehicle. In other words, you must configure your car profile and select the EV option – you get bonus features if you also select the charger type and speeds; this way, Google Maps will always look for charging stations that match your vehicle.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the feature is live on Android Auto but not Android devices. An Android smartphone powers the Android Auto experience, so running Google Maps on a mobile device should offer the same features. It's not the case this time, as the charging station shortcut is only available on Android Auto, whereas the mobile device still has the traditional gas station shortcut even if the user previously configured an EV shortcut.
Google Maps can eventually provide more advanced functionality on an electric vehicle if it receives access to more car data. On Android Automotive, Google Maps can read the battery range and look for nearby charging stations when the battery level doesn’t allow the driver to reach a destination. The application only searches for compatible charging stations based on vehicle specifications, and in some cases, it can also check the availability of each plug. Android Automotive runs at the vehicle level and does not require a mobile device to run.
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