- Improved information on Tesla Supercharger locations through the Google Maps app has now launched.
- Previously, Google Maps simply provided the locations of Tesla’s Superchargers, but now, live availability and charging speeds are now also visible directly through the Google Maps app – without requiring the use of the Tesla app.
- The integration makes it easier than ever for drivers of all EVs to discover Tesla’s vast global network of Superchargers.
Google Maps gains live data on Tesla Supercharger status
Google Maps has already been a credible alternative for EV route planning compared to built-in EV navigation systems, thanks to its vast and constantly updated database of public charging points across pretty much every CPO you can name. This new integration, already available, gives Google Maps the live data on availability within the Tesla Supercharger network, with the app now showing how many chargers are free at any given moment. This has just made Google Maps an even better pick when it comes to choosing the best EV navigation app.
On car brands such as Volvo and Polestar, which have Google Maps running natively off the in-car infotainment, this new Tesla Supercharger live data integration makes using Google Maps an even stronger choice. In that form, Google Maps can already communicate directly with the car’s battery, gaining access to projected state of charge and suggesting potential charging points along a route accordingly.
There’s no news on whether this live Tesla Supercharger integration will come to Google’s other more driver-focused navigation app, Waze. Our own testing shows that for Tesla Supercharger locations, Waze still only shows charging speed and the number of chargers on the site, rather than the number of charge points currently empty. However, following this Google Maps x Tesla integration, Waze users should watch this space closely.
With some of the cheapest electric cars on the market now forgoing in-built navigation systems in favour of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, this integration from Google Maps is a welcome move, and hopefully one that is mirrored with more CPOs in the months and years to come.
Last month, Electrify America also saw a similar integration into Google Maps, with live availability of its North American charging network also visible through the Google Maps app. It’s clear that Google wants its navigation app to be the go-to information source for EV drivers, as more and more drivers make the switch worldwide.
