C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Maps on Android Auto is making it easier to access EV charging filters when searching for charging stations.
- You’ll soon be able to access these filters just by tapping on Settings in Maps.
- You’ll be able to filter by charging speed and/or payment method.
If you need to fuel up your electric vehicle (EV), Google Maps on Android Auto can help you find charging stations within a specific area. Additionally, you can add charging stations as stops along your route. You can even filter your charging station search results by charging speed, but it requires several steps to access this tool. In our APK teardown, we learned that Google is working on making this filter easier to access, and it could also introduce a new filter.
Currently, if you want to filter your charging station search results in Google Maps on Android Auto, you first have to turn on EV features in the Settings of Android Auto. You’ll then need to open Google Maps and tap on the search icon, which will bring up a list of options. Included in this list is the option “Charging stations,” which initiates a search when tapped. After you begin a search, you’ll finally be able to filter the results by charging speed.
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In version 15.7.654604-release beta of Android Auto, we noticed a change to this process. Instead of having to start a search first before filtering, you’ll soon be able to access filters directly by tapping on the Settings icon in Google Maps on Android Auto. If you tap on EV map filters, there will be three filter options to choose from: Slow charge (up to 49kW), Quick charge (50kW or higher), and Customize.
Picking the Customize option will grant you further granular control over your search results. In this menu, you’ll see the following options: Up to 9kW, 10 to 49kW, 50 to 149kW, 150 to 349kW, and 350kW and faster. Multiple options can be selected in this menu.
Along with this change, Google is working on adding a completely new filter. In addition to the charging speed filter, we found an EV payment filter. This feature will allow you to filter charging stations based on accepted payment methods. What payment methods are available will differ depending on the country you’re in. For example, the screenshots below were taken on Android Auto in India, so only Blink Network is showing. But in the US, you’ll likely see payment methods like Google Pay and others.
Once you set your desired filters, Google Maps will remember these settings. That should take the headache out of always having to refine your charging station search results. But if you like the old way, you’ll still be able to filter results after initiating a search.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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