Best apps to find commercial chargers on a journey

[MartinSEsr]

I won't often need commercial chargers, but when I do for an occasional road trip, what apps do people use to plan ahead, see if the chargers are available, see if they are fast DC chargers, and the prices etc?

I have an SE so it doesn't have the in-built Trophy Nav which looks (from the manual) quite good at seeing chargers, geographic range and then routing to them.

I've got electroverse and zap map, but they don't even agree on where local chargers are and their availability.

Is there one app that rules them all?

 

[Robf]

I find ABRP for route planning very good, input your car type etc and then your destination and it works out the best route and charging stops.

 

[VAG]

I also use ABRP since years and find that it is the best one

 

[Jomarkh]

I use Zap-map to search for Rapid chargers on route then go to my preferred apps to check availability amenities etc. I check at various times to see if the charger gets busy at certain times of the day.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Another app to consider is WattsUp

 

[Robf]

Just tried the Octopus Electroverse app. Its excellent, especially if you are an Octopus customer and have a Octopus chargepoint card. It works similarly to ABRP but you can select route using the chargers that work with their card, which makes life very simple. I compared routes from Horsham to Edinburgh with ABRP and stops and time were similar, but you would only need the one card with Electroverse. Definately worth a look, it works well in Europe too. One button to export route to apple maps nav on my phone too. I am impressed.

 

[Jomarkh]

I think they have just updated the app with a lot more features.

 

[Ian Key]

You don't need to be an Octopus customer to have one either. Just link a credit card to the Electric Universe card.

 

[Tight Git]

I think they have just updated the app with a lot more features.

Yes - I've not looked at it in a while and it's certainly improved with good navigation which tallies with the routes I normally take.

 

[CarlMG4]

Octopus electroverse is very very good. Just add a payment method and you're away.

If anyone wants to sign up with my referral code, click the link, sign up, and we share a £50 bonus credit once we have both completed a charge.

Electroverse | Sign up

Sign up for Electroverse

electroverse.octopus.energy

 

[timeades]

Not been able to try it yet but hearing good things about Apple Maps(TomTom) EV routing but that is only available in iOS 16.4 and Car Play

 

[Rolfe]

Just tried the Octopus Electroverse app. Its excellent, especially if you are an Octopus customer and have a Octopus chargepoint card. It works similarly to ABRP but you can select route using the chargers that work with their card, which makes life very simple. I compared routes from Horsham to Edinburgh with ABRP and stops and time were similar, but you would only need the one card with Electroverse. Definately worth a look, it works well in Europe too. One button to export route to apple maps nav on my phone too. I am impressed.

I used to live near Horsham (Southwater) and drove from there to Lanarkshire (Wishaw) many times. I was mad enough to leave after work, say 5.30 or six, and could make it before midnight if I was lucky. I literally stopped once to fill the tank and was off again. I was thinking I couldn't do that in an EV!

How many stops did you have to make and how long did the journey take overall?

 

[Robf]

I used to live near Horsham (Southwater) and drove from there to Lanarkshire (Wishaw) many times. I was mad enough to leave after work, say 5.30 or six, and could make it before midnight if I was lucky. I literally stopped once to fill the tank and was off again. I was thinking I couldn't do that in an EV!

How many stops did you have to make and how long did the journey take overall?

Hi Rolfe

Best download the app and then you can test it yourself, it is very easy to use and actually does what it says on the tin.

FYI to Edinburgh from Horsham is about 9 hrs with 4 stops.

 

[Gomev]

Electroverse is excellent save 1, well 2 things. It doesn't cover Instavolt or Gridserve. Gridserve is understandable as that is really just a contactless payment operation. If only it could include Instavolt, one of the best operators it would indeed be almost perfect.
I have the Instavolt RFID card to cover them, so 2 cards to rule them all.

 

[CarlMG4]

One thing I have noticed.. prices are different for the same Chargepoint (much cheaper) on MER app directly as opposed to through Electroverse.

Not good..

 

[Rolfe]

Hi Rolfe

Best download the app and then you can test it yourself, it is very easy to use and actually does what it says on the tin.

FYI to Edinburgh from Horsham is about 9 hrs with 4 stops.

Thanks for that! I'm crazy about my MG4 now, but I don't think I could have managed what I used to do with a car like this.

 

[Rolfe]

I see I will have to use this chargepoint in a couple of weeks - it's literally 50 yards from the friend's house where I will be staying. Can anyone tell me what I will need in order to pay for it?

 

[Pebble]

I see I will have to use this chargepoint in a couple of weeks - it's literally 50 yards from the friend's house where I will be staying. Can anyone tell me what I will need in order to pay for it?

View attachment 17209

From Zap Map - payment via EB Go! app or RFID card.

Might be convenient but 69p/kwh for a 7kW charger seems expensive.

 

[Rolfe]

It does seem expensive to me too, but it's only a one-off. So I can't use a contactless debit card on that? It's just new, and I thought all new chargers were supposed to take contactless?

Anyway, I suppose I have to find out how to get that card, now.



ETA: Sob.

 

[Ian Key]

I see I will have to use this chargepoint in a couple of weeks - it's literally 50 yards from the friend's house where I will be staying. Can anyone tell me what I will need in order to pay for it?

View attachment 17209

Ask your friend to take a photo of the instructions and send it to you. It should say what the payment options are.