Photo: HERE
In addition to range anxiety, one of the biggest shortcomings of owning an EV is the charging process itself. In fact, it’s the availability of charging points the one that’s making the whole thing pretty frustrating, mostly because not all stations and networks provide drivers with such information in real time.
The solution comes from none other than a Google Maps competitor, as the navigation experts at HERE have managed to create a piece of software that should be able to predict charging point availability with a high accuracy rate.
The new solution is based on new-generation technology, so in order to determine if a charging point is available or not, it analyzes data from GPS probes and vehicle sensors. With a complex algorithm, it then adds historical time and day demand, weather information, traffic patterns, and so on. This data is required to generate real-world statistics that provide the software with a granular view of EV Charge point user patterns, eventually allowing it to estimate the availability at any point during the day.
Of course, while HERE developed its technology to be as accurate as possible, there’s always a chance that some factors, including sudden changes in traffic conditions, to impact the estimates. But overall, HERE believes its software should accurately know when a charging station is full or not.
The new prediction capability is integrated into other software from HERE, including the navigation solutions and HERE EV Charge Points. This way, drivers can pick a charging station from the map, get a route to drive to its address, and then let the new technology estimate the availability based on the ETA provided by the navigation software.
Vehicle sensors are playing a key role in the new system, and this is precisely where HERE hopes its software would get as accurate as possible. Given its products are already installed on millions of cars out there, it should be able to collect a gigantic amount of data from the vehicles on the road, including whether they are connected to a charger, what station they are using, and the time left until they reach a full charge.
HERE says its platform can currently receive live sensor data from approximately 34 million connected vehicles, and this information is already being used to power other software developed by the company, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), connected and automated vehicle services.
Time will tell if HERE’s new solution offers the accuracy EV drivers need, but the more carmakers adopt this solution, the bigger the chances for the availability of charging stations to be spot on. Given that HERE EV Charge Points is already deployed globally with plenty of automakers, it’s probably just a matter of time until we see the new prediction model at work as well.
The new solution is based on new-generation technology, so in order to determine if a charging point is available or not, it analyzes data from GPS probes and vehicle sensors. With a complex algorithm, it then adds historical time and day demand, weather information, traffic patterns, and so on. This data is required to generate real-world statistics that provide the software with a granular view of EV Charge point user patterns, eventually allowing it to estimate the availability at any point during the day.
Of course, while HERE developed its technology to be as accurate as possible, there’s always a chance that some factors, including sudden changes in traffic conditions, to impact the estimates. But overall, HERE believes its software should accurately know when a charging station is full or not.
The new prediction capability is integrated into other software from HERE, including the navigation solutions and HERE EV Charge Points. This way, drivers can pick a charging station from the map, get a route to drive to its address, and then let the new technology estimate the availability based on the ETA provided by the navigation software.
Vehicle sensors are playing a key role in the new system, and this is precisely where HERE hopes its software would get as accurate as possible. Given its products are already installed on millions of cars out there, it should be able to collect a gigantic amount of data from the vehicles on the road, including whether they are connected to a charger, what station they are using, and the time left until they reach a full charge.
HERE says its platform can currently receive live sensor data from approximately 34 million connected vehicles, and this information is already being used to power other software developed by the company, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), connected and automated vehicle services.
Time will tell if HERE’s new solution offers the accuracy EV drivers need, but the more carmakers adopt this solution, the bigger the chances for the availability of charging stations to be spot on. Given that HERE EV Charge Points is already deployed globally with plenty of automakers, it’s probably just a matter of time until we see the new prediction model at work as well.
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