Android Auto preview. Photography: Polestar
A new Google Maps update allows electric vehicle owners to remove gas stations and show only charging stations. A new, more adapted experience that should not displease the users of the application.
When charging stations replace gas stations
The American media The Verge reports that Google has flipped gas stations “ in the list of POI categories for electric vehicle owners using Android Auto “. Concretely, this means that service stations will no longer be displayed automatically for drivers of electric vehicles. It is therefore possible to refine the display to show charging stations exclusively. A feature available for all vehicles equipped with Google’s integrated software since 2020.
Pearl Xu, spokesperson for Google, said that ” to help people get the most relevant driving information possible, we’ve replaced gas stations with charging stations on Android Auto for electric vehicle owners “. And that’s not the only novelty on Android Auto. Google Maps now displays the availability of charging stations in real time to avoid queues. Something to delight motorists who drive electric.
Features designed for electric vehicles
Google is pushing the envelope on features focused on electric vehicles. The American giant also offers new “ load speed filters “. You guessed it: it makes it easy to find stations with fast chargers so you can refuel and get back on the road in less than 30 minutes. A feature ” filters on plug type has also been integrated into Google Maps.
With valuable data, including real-time traffic, Google Maps seeks to become a reference application for owners of electric vehicles. The software now suggests the best stop based on several factors such as traffic, vehicle charge level and expected energy consumption. Finally, Google Maps will now show if places like supermarkets have charging stations.
More and more electric vehicles are integrating Google technologies. We think for example of the Polestar 2, the Volvo XC40 Recharge, or the Cadillac Lyriq and many users use Google Maps from their phone. This new series of options will undoubtedly improve the experience of owners of electric vehicles and make Google’s application a benchmark in this area.
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Google Maps goes green
More generally, Google is committed to eco-mobility. For a long time, Google Maps users have been able to choose between the shortest routes in distance, or the fastest. In 2021, the American company unveiled the eco-routes feature that allows you to take the most economical routes. A small revolution for the navigation application. This new feature seems to be paying off. It would even have saved more than one million tonnes of CO2 ».
The initial idea is simple: contribute to improving the climate by offering the least polluting routes for drivers. After several months of use, Google seems to keep its promises. Whether you drive electric or thermal, Google Maps takes into account the specificities of each engine. Google Maps eco-routes have saved the equivalent of the emissions of 250,000 thermal cars over one year.
On daily journeys or more demanding routes, the eco-routes feature is stunning. We carried out a particularly conclusive test a few months ago. The opportunity to realize that the functionality of Google Maps works well, but that it is not fully adapted for electric vehicles. The eco-route routes seem above all to have been designed for thermal models, which seems perfectly logical.
For example, it is not possible to select a specific electrical model in the application, which would make it possible to refine the savings and have more precise data. This is the case on independent route planners like ABRP or Chargemap. Applications designed for electric mobility and therefore logically much more suited to the uses of owners of electrified vehicles.
