Everyone loves an upgrade, and soon, Apple Maps will offer electric vehicle drivers an easy way to locate available charging stations on the go.
In addition to a slate of new features for the iPhone, Apple Maps will begin providing real-time EV charging information with the iOS 17 updates this fall.
Once installed, drivers will have access to "real-time charging station availability filtered by charging network, plug type, and more," according to the Apple Newsroom. The app will prompt drivers to select their preferred networks and show compatible charging options for their vehicle, including nearby charging stations and the number of available stalls, as 9to5 Mac elaborated.
This improvement follows the iOS 14 EV routing feature introduced in 2020, which aimed to minimize the fear of running out of charge while on the road. The feature tracks the vehicle's current charge while factoring in driving conditions such as weather and elevation to determine when to add charging stops to the route.
As of yet, EV routing has only been available to Ford Mustang Mach-E and Porsche Taycan drivers, as reported by The Verge, but now, anyone with the iOS 17 upgrade will have access to its new charging station availability features via Apple Maps.
Convenient upgrades like these can help reduce one of the main barriers to EV adoption. Research from McKinsey & Company found charging issues to be a leading barrier to making the switch to EVs in the US, including charger inaccessibility.
As the EV charging infrastructure grows along with increasing demand, having readily available information at their fingertips allows EV drivers to efficiently utilize nearby charging stations. These Apple Maps improvements could save time and energy by eliminating the need to drive around in search of an available charging station.
In-demand services like real-time EV charger information could encourage Apple Maps' competitors like Google to roll out similar features in the future, prompting apps across platforms to develop more helpful services for EV drivers.
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