Google has rolled out new mapping and search features to help electric car owners get information about charging stations, including a new AI-powered feature that makes finding charging stations easier.
One of people's biggest fears about electric cars is running out of power while on the road and not being able to find a place to charge.
As more people use electric vehicles, access to charging station information is becoming more urgent and the search giant is taking steps to bridge the gap.
Since charging stations are often located in difficult-to-access locations, such as multi-storey car parks, Google Maps will introduce new AI summaries in the coming months that describe the location of chargers using useful information from reviews.
The AI-generated instructions can read: “Enter the underground car park, follow the exit signs and turn right before the exit.”
To ensure that reviews always contain useful information that AI can use to better describe a location, Google Maps now asks users to provide more details about their experience when writing charger reviews, including the plug they used and the time they spent waiting.
Google also plans to improve the in-car mapping experience to show users useful information about nearby stations, such as connection availability and real-time charging speeds.
The company plans to roll out the update globally, initially to vehicles equipped with Google's built-in software.
Google's built-in vehicles also expand on the Google Maps feature the company launched in 2023, which gives users recommendations on the best places to charge.
The extended functionality supports trips with multiple stops, for example. H. The map can recommend users the best charging stations based on the location of their electric vehicle.
For EV owners planning overnight trips, Google has added a new EV charger filter through the travel search tool google.com/travel to help EV owners find hotels that offer on-site charging.