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Does the use of electric vehicles result in better air quality than the use of gasoline or diesel vehicles? Despite various debates, one thing is for sure – Electric vehicles have revolutionized sustainable mobility solutions over the last decade and will continue to become the mainstream. Understandably, the EV ecosystem is growing at a similar pace, and the market for the best EV charging station apps grows in tandem.

GlobeNewswire estimates that the market for electric vehicle charging station apps will reach $115 billion by 2028, with a 35% CAGR.

What is the basis for EV Charging Station Apps?

As the name implies, the EV charging station app offers EV owners a representation of charging station options near them. In the present day, companies are heavily investing in expanding the EV ecosphere and EV charging stations are a big part of this. Electric utility companies usually offer such charging options in parking lots or retail shopping centers. The process of app development for electric vehicles gained attention when EV owners were presented with various options such as fast DC charging stations to battery swapping. Also, since there are different charging requirements for different electric vehicles, and EV charging stations differ in their charging speeds based on location, load, and other factors, the undeniable need for EV charging station apps was born.

6 after-market EV Charging Apps today

Here is a list of the best EV charging apps today, which are user-friendly, flexible, and convenient.

#1 PlugShare

PlugShare is one of the most popular and free EV charging station finder apps. This app obtains all of its information from its trusted users. When you use this app, you will receive a navigation guide that will direct you to the nearest station. It displays the stations that are currently active.

After your charging session is complete, you can pay directly through the app. The charging station app may also mention nearby amenities like Wi-Fi & lavatories, which is extremely useful while you’re waiting for your EV to charge.

#2 ChargePoint

Considered the best charging EV app worldwide, ChargePoint is the most open, as it shows a massive network of charging stations that are available, occupied, or part of multiple networks.

#3 EVEnergy

In EVenergy, everything is displayed minimalist, from total energy usage to predicted carbon emissions to savings resulting from driver behavior. The program allows EV owners to monitor charging costs in real-time and rewards them for charging their cars smartly.

It even tracks the costs of any home solar power infrastructure that the user has. This will come up again, but offering some kind of loyalty or reward program like this is a great way to approach developing the best EV charging app. This keeps people using your app while also encouraging best practices like smart charging.

#4 ChargeWay

Chargeway is one of the best apps for electric vehicles and you can use it to find free EV charging stations. Each station is identified by a color code and collaborated with automobile dealerships and other businesses.

#5 ChargeMap

More than 330,000 electric car drivers use ChargeMap to find and locate charging stations in the blink of an eye. Chargemap has a very polished interface with numerous filter options. However, you cannot use the app unless you first create an account.

#6 ChargeHub

The user-friendly design of ChargeHub makes it simple to locate the best electric vehicle charging stations in your area. When you first launch the app, you’ll see a map of nearby charging stations, as well as four options at the bottom of the screen Trips, Map, Community, and Profile. The user interface of this app is so simple that even a novice can figure it out. Filters are available in the app for things like minimum kW, connection type, price, and network. ChargeHub also includes a charging guide to help new EV owners learn about the various chargers, ports, and networks available. The Community section of the app displays the most recent check-ins, charger reviews, and other actions taken by other app users.

Addressing the gap in the market

Market sentiments suggest that although there is a rise in development & adoption, there is a serious gap between consumer expectations and currently available apps.

Although there is a lot of enthusiasm among some consumers about purchasing an electric vehicle, they are worried about range anxiety and finding a charging station promptly. Most of the after-market apps provide pretty good results in terms of charging stations, but they fall short on dedicated charging networks, optimal routes, battery swapping or charging-based stations, or a combination of all of these.

What this necessitates is that EV manufacturers should create dedicated EV charging apps for their own brand/network of EV vehicles.

Advantages of creating a charging station app at the manufacturer level

There are several advantages to the manufacturer creating an in-built or associated mobile app for finding charging stations, for their network of vehicles and users. It might seem counterintuitive for the manufacturer to be investing time and resources into app development, but the advantages argue otherwise.

• Seamless experiences for customers

Since the app is part of the same ecosystem as that of the vehicle, the customer is able to enjoy seamless experiences in finding a charging station that fits their specific model and make. This allows the manufacturer to offer customer specific insights on how their car is discharging and when and where they would need to recharge or change batteries, sans hassles.

• Better insights on asset performance

For the manufacturer, creating an in-built EV charging station finder app in the same ecosystem, allows them to track charging station performance, including insights into performance, failure, charge capacity etc. Additionally, this also gives the business invaluable insights into how many vehicles inside and out of their network use their charging facility, and how they can optimize the experience for their customers.

• User behavior data

Data on charging times and periodicity of vehicles in the same ecosystem can be tracked, and this would allow the business to feed insights into the very manufacturing process itself. This would lead to better engineered vehicles and charging stations, further enhancing the overall experience that the business offers.

Tesla leads the way

Tesla is considered a trendsetter in the EV manufacturing space, but that’s not all that they do. The EV manufacturing giant offers an EV charging station app as well, which owners can use as part of the company’s official vehicle ecosystem. The app enables users to find any Tesla Supercharger fast-charging station near them or on their route. The mobile app also allows the owner to monitor the charging process and receive notifications when the vehicle is fully charged.

Since the app is part of the official ecosystem, it offers customers a seamless experience of using the vehicle and associated infrastructure.

Why partner with ROLA for your EV app development?

There are already a lot of apps available for finding EV charging stations on Google Play Store and App Store. But offering integrated hardware and software development services with extended systems, can offer manufacturers a clear advantage over these after-market applications.

Let’s say you need help building a charging station finder app or hardware engineering assistance with an EV charging station app – ROLA is a top globally leading electric vehicle app development company, and we can guarantee a futuristic solution that surpasses your customers’ expectations.

With our established capabilities in building mobile apps or in-built EV apps, which can be built on the OS layer of your EV vehicles, we can offer your business clear value in this space.

Conclusion

EVs are cutting-edge technology that can help solve some of the world’s most pressing pollution issues. Installing an EV charging station app on your assets provides both operational & business benefits, as well as long-term benefits to your brand’s image.

Electric vehicles can boast a successful go-to-market model with these in-built apps and can help your customers charge their EVs as seamlessly as possible. If you want to learn more about the various EVs charging features, and what you would need to being into your EV charging station finder app development, check out our in-depth blog on the subject.