Tesla charge location app?

Lloyd · Mar 20, 2012

I count about 20 iPhone apps to locate charge sites. Will Tesla support a single app to show sites for thier cars?

Listed:
Charge Point
Plug Share
Recargo
BMW EVolve
CarStations
AQMD
Blink Mobile
IEV
Open Vehicle
Earth Teching
Green Charge
Juice Bar Locator
Place your Charging
Sema Connect
Batt Six
Charge Locator

smoothoperator · Mar 20, 2012

Lloyd said:
I count about 20 iPhone apps to locate charge sites. Will Tesla support a single app to show sites for thier cars?

Listed:
Charge Point
Plug Share
Recargo
BMW EVolve
CarStations
AQMD
Blink Mobile
IEV
Open Vehicle
Earth Teching
Green Charge
Juice Bar Locator
Place your Charging
Sema Connect
Batt Six
Charge Locator

Every time I have asked for trip charging advice from my Customer Advocate they always tell me to go to Recargo

TEG · Mar 20, 2012

I keep waiting to see a 'killer' charge spot finding function on the Model S dashboard, but so far just bare Google maps.
When I last asked, I was told just a 3rd party downloaded app would be the answer.
For various reasons, I hope plug-share ends up being the app of choice, I hope they get some API way to integrate with Model S telematics so they can do things like show range circles based on SOC.

markwj · Mar 20, 2012

smoothoperator said:
Every time I have asked for trip charging advice from my Customer Advocate they always tell me to go to Recargo

The CEO of Recargo is a long-time Tesla owner.

TEG said:
For various reasons, I hope plug-share ends up being the app of choice, I hope they get some API way to integrate with Model S telematics so they can do things like show range circles based on SOC.

I like the idea behind plug-share, but it is US-only.

I vote for open charge map, long term. Tesla could put that on the Model S screen easily, and could contribute data on their own fast charge network.

Rifleman · Mar 20, 2012

Plug share is my app of choice as well. Maybe they could expand it to be international.

TEG · Mar 20, 2012

Model S is North America initially, so Plug-share could suffice until later when they need something international.

dadaleus · Mar 21, 2012

Plugshare is the most comprehensive for J1772 in my experience. But I find it frustrating that it excludes NEMA 14-50s.

Recargo is also quite good. It has far more adapter types, and specifically has good info on the remaining public (and some private) Tesla HPCs. But I find fewer checkins and far fewer sites listed than on Plugshare. I think it would be great if Recargo provided better support for private sites the way Plugshare does.

Frequent check-ins are great because it gives me more confidence that the charger will actually be there and in working order. Plugshare wins by a longshot on the checkin front--I suspect because of heavy use by Leaf and Volt owners.

I also wish someone had the amperage as a searchable data point. On the west coast many public Tesla HPCs have been updated to 70 amp J1772 but no app I've found let's you search for them; the info is in the comments in the cases I've seen. Since Leafs and Volts don't care about amperage I don't think it's a priority.

It will be interesting to see what happens regarding Tesla HPC 2.0's and Supercharger listings. I suspect Recargo will immediately support them.

Rifleman · Mar 21, 2012

dadaleus said:
Plugshare is the most comprehensive for J1772 in my experience. But I find it frustrating that it excludes NEMA 14-50s.

I do agree on this. It took quite a little bit of effort to have my house listed as a sharable 14-50 plug. Maybe Tesla could convince them to add the HPC as one of the default options, it would definitely help out Model S owners (and keep leaf owners from counting on a level 2 charger that turns out to be HPC, not J1772)

dadaleus · Mar 29, 2012

One more thought... Recargo needs to allow entering new/newly discovered EVSE's right on the app like Plugshare. I've many times found a station not in the app but i forget to or dont have the time to enter it when i get back to a full computer. I suspect that limitation plus the lack of clear private vs public station support are why it's database antidotally appears smaller. Otherwise I love Recargo and it seems the most Tesla friendly app.

jcstp · Mar 29, 2012

check OpenChargeMap.org : The open, global database of charging point information

you can make your own map with all the parameters you like searched OpenChargeMap Map Wizard

checking in your radius is also easy with this easy app OpenChargeMap

TEG · Mar 29, 2012

dadaleus said:
One more thought... Recargo needs to allow entering new/newly discovered EVSE's right on the app like Plugshare. I've many times found a station not in the app but i forget to or dont have the time to enter it when i get back to a full computer. I suspect that limitation plus the lack of clear private vs public station support are why it's database antidotally appears smaller. Otherwise I love Recargo and it seems the most Tesla friendly app.

Nissan LEAF Telematics has the option to automatically add any place you charge to the permanent map.
I have that feature enabled, and find it very handy.

Also you can put custom labels on any of the charge locations.
"Behind the movie theater."
"Garage outlet at Bob's house."
(etc.)

hcsharp · Apr 4, 2012

I've given up on PlugShare because they only allow 2 plug types: J-1772 and 120v outlet, and no info on amperage. I don't have either at my house. But I have a Tesla HPC and a NEMA 14-50. I've emailed PlugShare several times to add more plug options for months now but have been ignored. The new Open Charge Map database is much better and has about 20 plug types with lots of information. Recargo is not very good on the US east coast IMHO.

dadaleus · Apr 5, 2012

hcsharp said:
I've given up on PlugShare because they only allow 2 plug types: J-1772 and 120v outlet, and no info on amperage. I don't have either at my house. But I have a Tesla HPC and a NEMA 14-50. I've emailed PlugShare several times to add more plug options for months now but have been ignored. The new Open Charge Map database is much better and has about 20 plug types with lots of information. Recargo is not very good on the US east coast IMHO.

Actually if you are inputting it as a home location, you can type in other charge types via the iOS app (but not the web oddly). But you can't filter on them--they just come up if someone clicks on your house. Agreed, not at all ideal. I only use Plugshare as one of several apps when I'm trying to find a location because it's list of J1772s seems the most comprehensive and it seems to have the most frequent checkins.

Screen Shot 2012-04-05 at 10.26.49 AM.png

ElectricVehicle · Apr 10, 2012

PlugShare doesn't allow you to add pictures, like multiple pictures showing how to find the charger. ReCargo does. I think you have to pick 3 or 4 of the top apps and use them together!

The NREL database is feeding some things like the Chargepoint map for the LEAF that includes non-Coulomb chargers, but again you miss out on the community sourced driver information, little things like gates locked after 10 pm. Or charging is free but the parking to use the charger is $3.50/15 minutes. Or directions around a labyrinthian garage or campus to locate the charger.

jcstp · Sep 15, 2012

Open Charge Map : The open, global database of electric vehicle charging locations

A page with all the apps and websites that use the free and open openchargemap.org/

EchoDelta · Sep 18, 2012

ElectricVehicle said:
PlugShare doesn't allow you to add pictures, like multiple pictures showing how to find the charger..

Hi ElectricVehicle - I use PlugShare 95% of the time and it DOES have pictures (at least since april this year).

I find all of these apps lack one super-important feature for the growth of the charger ecosystem:
Let me "WISH" for a charger at a particular location. (as in, I wish there was a charger at a certain location).

Over time, people's wishes would create density maps that can be used by businesses to justify both free or paid stations.

Also, I wish charger owners would disclose whether their station is powered by "gren"/REC-based or some sort of renewable source, versus the lame traditional coal etc. mix.

vfx · Sep 26, 2012

I aways want to know what there is to do in the area to pick a plug. Recargo just added Yelp!

Robert.Boston · Feb 7, 2013

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