Waze adds feature for EV drivers to find compatible charging stations

Waze said the new EV charging station feature would be available starting this week and rolling out globally "over the coming weeks." (Credit: Provided / Waze)

Waze, the Google-owned navigation app, is hoping to make it easier for drivers of electric vehicles to find a charging station.

The company announced in a blog post on Tuesday that users will now be able to enter their electric vehicle (EV) and plug type into the Waze app to find relevant charging stations along their route. 

"Charging station information is often inconsistent, outdated or unreliable, creating a major pain point for EV drivers who may navigate to a charging station only to discover they can’t find it or use it," the company said in a statement. "By adding up-to-date EV charging information to the Waze map, it’s even easier to charge your car and get help finding where or when you’ll come across the next station."

Waze said the EV data will be reviewed and updated in real-time by its community map editors to ensure accuracy. 

Waze said the feature was available starting this week and roling out globally "over the coming weeks."

But a report published on Wednesday by Electrek noted how the EV Charger finding feature was still showing nearby gas stations instead of chargers for one user. In response, a Waze spokesperson told the outlet that the EV feature "will be available to all U.S. users by mid-April."

The spokesperson added that the feature is already available in Albania, Bosnia, Brazil, Chile, Estonia, Hungry, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, New Zealand, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, and Sweden.

Google’s Maps app also shows charging stations for EV drivers along their route. Last year, the tech giant announced a feature allowing users to search for "EV charging stations'' and select the "fast charge" filter — showing stations with chargers 50kW or higher and stations that offer specific plug types. 

In February, Google also introduced new Maps features for EV drivers with vehicles that have Google built-in, including from manufacturers like Polestar, Volvo, GMC, Honda, Renault, and Cadillac.

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This story was reported from Cincinnati.

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