The PlugShare app is quite special in that it uses crowd-sourced information – not unlike apps that let fossil-fuelled car drivers know the price of gas at nearby gas stations. The result is an accurate and up-to-date map for Tesla and other EV charging stations.
It claim’s to be the world’s largest EV driver community – and drivers of expensive and budget electric vehicles contribute station reviews and photos to help EV drivers choose where to charge up their batteries. You can filter the map by plug type, charging speed, and charging provider. Unusually it covers every major EV charging network in North America, Asia, Europe, well, basically everywhere in the world
I don’t care which station charge as long as I know that the station works!! This app makes that super easy.
Angel Murray – RI
Getting there
Once you choose where you want to “fill up”, thankfully the app will connect to the navigation app of your choice, so that side of things will be easy and familiar.
Negatives:
- On the downside, some users find the registration process to be overly burdensome.
- Only networks are listed, not private operators
- It might conflict with the app you need to use at certain operators
- It isn’t “official”