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How the Likes of Google Maps Help Deal With One of the Biggest EV Problems

One of the biggest shortcomings of owning an electric car continues to be the limited range, and without a doubt, this is what’s making so many potential buyers delay their transition from combustion engines to zero-emission vehicles.
Google Maps integrated into the Polestar 2 9 photos
Photo: Polestar
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Range anxiety is a concept that’s being tackled with all kinds of new systems and with investments in reduced power usage and bigger batteries, but at the end of the day, the ones lending a hand to carmakers could be none other than the likes of Google Maps.

Navigation apps have become an essential player in the struggle to deal with range anxiety, and in an analysis conducted by navigation specialist HERE, the company explains that drivers consider such software a must-have tool in their EV arsenal.

Citing a recent CMA report, HERE explains that applications that provide charging location information and real-time station data help increase the adoption of EVs, especially as they now offer a more integrated experience.

While HERE itself is already offering a super-advanced pack of solutions specifically aimed at EV drivers, the entire industry is actually investing on this front.

Google, for example, has already added charging stations on Google Maps and Waze, but at the same time, it’s also trying to make the experience more straightforward on EVs.

Cars equipped with Android Automotive run Google Maps as a native application, and thanks to the deeper integration, it can monitor the current range and provide options to reach the destination more conveniently.

For example, if Google Maps determines that the car needs a recharge in order to reach a destination, it automatically searches for a compatible charging station along the route and then offers to configure the navigation to reach it.

Of course, the investments in this regard will continue, and as HERE explains, navigation apps will end up playing an essential role in the way EVs manage to drive range anxiety, with or without all these investments in bigger batteries.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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