Google Maps update facilitates route planning in e-cars

Modern navigation software must also take into account the wishes of electric car drivers. After all, route planning plays a much greater role here than in a combustion engine. In the latest version of Google Maps, the tech giant claims to have had this in mind.

Google Maps adapts to electric car drivers

Anyone switching from a combustion engine to an electric car will have to make some adjustments. These are mostly of a positive nature. After all, switching to a fully electric car is usually accompanied by significantly higher acceleration, greater driving comfort and a noticeably quieter interior. But the whole thing also has its disadvantages. For example, you can’t avoid charging stops on longer journeys.

For models with a small battery, this can sometimes take you to the charging station for the first time after just 200 km. These stops need to be planned. Fortunately, almost all on-board navigation systems in vehicles now offer the option of comprehensive charging planning. When you enter your destination, the route is calculated, including the necessary visits to a charging station.

However, some people have problems with the software solutions offered by the major car manufacturers. Sometimes you wish you had back the up-to-dateness, user-friendliness and overview of Google Maps. Until now, however, the search engine giant’s navigation software did not include route planning or the necessary charging stops. This is now a thing of the past.

Battery level as a basis

In a blog post, the tech company has now publicly announced that it will soon be offering customized route planning for electric cars. Google wants to display mandatory charging stops along the planned route based on the battery status. What is also set to change is the information that the map displays about charging stations.

While these are currently still few and far between, Google wants to use AI to ensure that a small piece of information can be read for each charging station. Anyone who likes to spend their charging break with a small snack and/or coffee, for example, will certainly be pleased to see such information. However, the information in the new Google Maps should not only concern the features of the charging station.

The tech company also promises to make navigation much more detailed. Anyone who has ever been in search of a charging station in remote locations with an electric car will be delighted. After all, these are often hidden. In future, Google Maps will provide instructions such as “Drive into the underground parking garage and follow the signs to the exit. Turn right just before the exit.” .

Release “in the coming months”

Owners of electric cars will certainly be pleased with Google’s announcement. After all, it is an open secret that the finished navigation solutions of many car manufacturers are more poorly implemented than good. But you will probably have to be patient. The corresponding update will only be rolled out “in the coming months”.