A free program named PlugShare launched last year. It monitored and featured 500 charging stations at the beginning, and now it features more than 11,000. It is an international program; however, most of the stations featured on it appear to be in the United States.
It resembles Google Maps and lets you find a charging station in whichever area you please on a graphical map.
You can literally tap the location you want and it displays a description (some of which tells you how to find the charger on the premises). And, importantly, it tells you if the charging station is available for use when you need to top up your EV battery, so you can avoid waiting behind someone else to charge!
PlugShare even tells you which type of outlet the charger uses, whether it is the EV standard J1772, a typical 120 volt outlet like the one in everyone’s houses, a NEMA 14-30 clothes dryer outlet, etc.
After that, you would tap “Get Directions,” and you’re on your way to charge.
Smartphones have become quite common, and they are mostly used for text messaging and entertainment such as MP3 playback, but apps like PlugShare can make a smartphone a much more worthy investment, because it provides them with an important, practical feature.
This is a brilliant use of modern technology to help the adoption of EVs.
Most EV charging stations will be constructed in the future, since the EV industry is still in its infancy, and because of this, there is an opportunity to integrate the latest, greatest, and most convenient technology into new charging stations so that people can find them with only a few taps, and not even have to wait.
And, more good news I just received from the company, you can add your own charging stations to its database: “If you haven’t already, you can now share your home charger with other members of the network. By sharing your charger, you can help out other PlugSharers who might be in a pinch. Even if you don’t have an EV you can share your home wall outlet — it’s a great way to meet EV owners and maybe take their sweet ride for a spin. Tell your friends!”
Smartphones are miniature computers, and computers in general are among the most powerful tools in the world.
Hooray for putting them to pragmatic use!
Source: Gas 2.0
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