How is it with charging apps — are they still relevant, and are there apps to calculate a route and charging stations along the way?
Yes — charging apps are still very relevant, especially for route planning and for finding/filtering chargers along the way. However, you often need fewer apps for payment now than a few years ago (more on that below).
Apps that are best for calculating a route + charging stops
- A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) – the classic for long trips: you choose car model, start SOC, target SOC and preferences, and you get charging stops + a time plan.
- Google Maps – has improved at finding chargers and planning charging stops as part of a route.
- Chargemap Route Planner – an alternative route planner that’s also popular in Europe.
Apps that are best for finding the “right” charger along the way (status/price/info)
- ChargeFinder – very strong in Sweden/Nordics for finding chargers and seeing e.g. availability/price/info.
- PlugShare – good as a “reality check” thanks to the community: comments about broken stalls, queues, how to find the charger, etc.
Payment: roaming apps (one app that works across many networks)
Good if you travel between countries or want to avoid “100 network apps”:
- Octopus Electroverse
- Plugsurfing
- EnBW mobility+ (especially common in Germany, but also works with roaming)
Do you still need network-specific apps?
Sometimes, yes — some networks have their own discounts/subscriptions, receipts, business solutions, easier support, etc.
But: within the EU, AFIR requires new public chargers (incl. DC) to support ad-hoc payment and card/contactless payment, which reduces app hassle over time.
Recommended “minimum setup” (usually enough)
- ABRP (plan the long trip)
- ChargeFinder or PlugShare (check status/alternatives / “is this charger actually good?”)
- One roaming app (Electroverse or Plugsurfing) for payment across many networks
What’s the advantage of ABRP compared to the car’s built-in navigation?
Assistant:
Good question. Built-in navigation has become really good — but ABRP can still be better in certain situations because it’s built specifically for EV trip planning.
Advantages of ABRP compared to built-in navigation
1) Much more control over consumption assumptions
ABRP lets you adjust things that often matter a lot in real life:
- speed (e.g., +10% over the limit)
- winter/heating, rain, headwind (via weather/settings)
- load, roof box, bike rack, trailer/heavy load
- “I always want at least X% left when I arrive”
Many car nav systems are more of a “black box” and harder to fine-tune.
2) Smarter charging-stop logic (optimized for time, not just number of stops)
ABRP often optimizes for shortest total travel time: sometimes more short stops on fast chargers instead of one long stop (or the opposite), and it accounts for typical charging curves/power taper.
3) Better planning for multi-stop trips / multi-day travel
- plan out-and-back, multiple destinations, hotels with charging, “via” points
- see a clear timeline with arrival SOC, charging time, and margins
Car nav often works best “here and now,” not as a vacation planner.
4) More freedom: filters by network, plugs, and preferences
You can be very specific:
- “only 250–350 kW,” “at least 6 stalls,” “avoid expensive networks,” “only Ionity/Aral/…”
- avoid known problematic sites, or choose chargers near food/toilets/open 24/7
Car nav can be limited to its own database/partners.
5) Works across brands and makes comparisons easy
If you have multiple cars in the family (or change cars often), ABRP is the same tool every time — and you can compare “how does this trip look with car A vs car B.”
When the car’s built-in navigation is often better
- Battery preconditioning for fast charging (many cars trigger this best when you navigate to a charger via the built-in nav).
- More accurate real-time SOC/energy because it reads directly from the car.
- In some cars: better live data for occupancy/availability at chargers (depends on brand/network).
Recommended combo
- Plan in ABRP (stops, margins, choice of networks) – Don’t run it through carplay
(Ends car navigation and preconditioning) - Navigate in the car to each charging stop to get best integration (traffic + possible preconditioning).
- Use ChargeFinder/PlugShare as a “reality check” if a location seems questionable.
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