A Better Routeplanner and Škoda recently announced that the MyŠKODA EV Planning software will be powered by the Iternio EV Planning API, which is the engine behind the well-known A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) app.
“It is an honor for us to be selected by and work with the manufacturer of one of the world’s best EVs and the fast-moving team behind the app. Expect more updates on the planner in the app with time!” Iternio said in a press release.
I’ve said for a long time that I think vehicle manufacturers should be working with the company, especially with the rather clunky trip planning implementations many infotainment systems offer. Many cheaper systems only give you a circle of range, which can be terribly inaccurate when you encounter hills or poor weather, among other things. But ABRP has long had a ready-to-go solution for a variety of EVs.
Why I Think Škoda Made The Right Move
If you’ve followed my articles on here much, you’ll know that I like to use A Better Routeplanner to virtually test what things would be like for vehicles in extreme scenarios. Most of the time, the problem I’m trying to point out has to do with the limits of charging networks, especially in rural areas. Combine that with the challenges of things like towing with electric trucks, and you end up with some need for improvement that we can identify and advocate for.
The other important thing about A Better Routeplanner is the variety of vehicles that it works with. Some vehicle manufacturers, especially Tesla, have great route planning capabilities. Factoring in not only speed and a circle on a map, but also factoring in terrain, temperature, and other factors gives drivers the ability to know whether they’re going to make it to the destination and more importantly make it back or to the next charging station.
But not all EVs have come with that capability. For example, my base 2018 LEAF only came with a basic Bluetooth stereo. The EPA estimated 150-mile range was a low estimate for driving around town, but it wasn’t meaningful at all on the highway. It didn’t take me long in my dumb rural adventures the car wasn’t really built for to figure out that I needed a better way to see what the vehicle could and couldn’t do.
When I found A Better Routeplanner, it was a life saver. Instead of being strictly limited to driving closer to home, I was able to confidently take the car out on road trips even when it was rather inconvenient. I found out that some of the car’s other limitations, like a lack of liquid cooling, made this problematic, but I never got stranded as long as I made a good plan with the software.
Its adaptable and dependable nature makes it a great fit for any vehicle, including anything Škoda can throw at it. Plus, with data directly from the manufacturer and the ability to get data live from the vehicle, both A Better Routeplanner and the MyŠKODA EV Planning app will improve for all vehicles.
Featured image provided by Iternio/A Better Routeplanner.
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast:
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
