Apps for electric cars: How to find free charging stations on the go
Created: 04/07/2022, 14:06
By: Marcus Efler
In the test: charging apps from different providers.
(Iconic image) © Rüdiger Wölk/Imago
Which apps help best to find free charging stations?
Stiftung Warentest has tested it - and makes clear recommendations.
The big tour with the electric car is still considered an adventure for many.
A lot can happen on the road:
from a blocked charging plug to an odyssey in the search for charging stations, the journey may have one or two surprises in store.
However, finding free charging points should no longer be a problem – if you have installed the right app.
Ideally, this not only reveals where
there are columns
on the route or at the destination , but also how many of the charging points there belong to the 90 percent intact electricity donors and
are free
(although the latter can of course change while you are using them controls).
The amperage is also displayed: If you are only looking for fast direct current with at least 200 kilowatts, you can filter the search accordingly.
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The apps usually come from the network operators themselves, usually also allow payment by smartphone - and ideally also show the locations of the competition.
But not all help equally well, according to the conclusion of the Stiftung Warentest, which tested 20 charging apps from ten providers during five test drives in the city, in the country and on the motorways.
The search function, the correctness of the information, user-friendliness and data protection were evaluated.
None of the mini-programs achieved the top rating
of “very good”
.
These apps are the test winners: They scored "Good" or at least once with "Satisfactory":
apartment | Notes for Android | Notes for iOS |
|---|---|---|
EnBW mobility+ | 2.2 | 2.1 |
eCharge+ | 2.5 | 2.3 |
Next charge | 2.5 | 2.2 |
Chargemap | 3.2 | 3.1 |
Ladenetz.de | 3.3 | 3.7 (sufficient) |
plug surfing | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Shell Recharge | 4 | 3.4 |
Maingau simple electricity charging | 3.7 (sufficient) | 3.4 |
It is remarkable who is missing from the list of the best: Ionity of all things, the
flagship network of the German car
companies BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Ford as well as the Korean providers Hyundai and Kia, only manages an “adequate” app according to the testers, and is at the bottom of the
ranking
.
The testers criticized the lack of information about the charging point and the fact that it only shows its own charging options, especially those installed along the freeways.
(me)
