Range Confidence: Charge Fast, Drive Far, with your Electric Car

By David Herron

Last Update: 2021-01-03T23:53:32.489Z

  1. Range Confidence: Charge Fast, Drive Far, on Electricity
    1. The false 'Range Anxiety' story would keep us from driving electric
    2. A brief history of Range Anxiety in electric cars and gasoline cars
  2. Learning Range Confidence
    1. Step 1 - Map your trips to know how far you need to drive
    2. Step 2 - Know your local EV charging terrain
    3. Step 3 - Getting around town with your electric vehicle
    4. Step 4 - Set up charging at home, at work, or nearby
    5. Step 5 - Prefer electric cars with fast charging
    6. Step 6 - Charging station network memberships and smart phone apps
  3. Solving range anxiety in daily driving - putting range confidence into practice
    1. Typical daily driving needs, on electricity
    2. Electric vehicle charging scenarios
    3. How and where to charge electric cars in public
    4. Example longer trips with electric cars - putting range confidence into practice
  4. Autonomy and electric driving freedom
  5. Charging station etiquette - effectively sharing limited electric car charging resources
    1. Electric vehicle drivers Bill of Rights
  6. Electric vehicle range and charging infrastructure
    1. Energy storage, energy consumption, weather and electric car driving range
    2. Total driving range in electric cars: plug-in hybrid versus fast charging
    3. What happens if an electric vehicle runs out of power in a city with no charging stations?
    4. Why doesn't the dashboard show accurate range?
    5. Battery pack age, and capacity loss
    6. How does EPA estimate electric car driving range?
    7. Understanding the EPA ratings label for electric cars
  7. Charging electric cars in public
    1. Electric car charging speed and effective trip speed on road trips
    2. What electric car charging rate do we need at home, at the office, on road trips, at airports, or elsewhere?
    3. Can you drive an electric car away from charging network coverage areas?
    4. What charging networks exist? ChargePoint? Plugshare?
    5. Types of electric car charging connectors, and compatibility: A Field Guide to electric vehicle service equipment
    6. Is it bad to charge an electric car with an extension cord?
    7. Best portable electric car charging stations for home or on trips
    8. How do I pay for energy consumed in charging my electric vehicle?
    9. How do electric car charging station networks make money?
    10. Electric car fast charging held back by standards battle between CHAdeMO, Combo Charging System and Tesla Supercharger
    11. Electric car fast charging required for widespread EV adoption
    12. Smart-phone apps for finding electric car charging station networks
    13. Known electric car charging networks around the world
    14. What to do if the charging cord is stuck, cannot be removed
  8. Getting and installing at home electric car charging equipment
    1. Installing cheap/inexpensive electric car charging at home
    2. How to plan for and install 240 volt circuit to charge an electric car/vehicle?
    3. Fast charging your electric car at home
    4. Apartment/Condo dwellers - what to do if you cannot charge at home
    5. How-to: 240 volts when all you have is 120 volt outlets
  9. The best electric car charging stations for home charging or on trips
  10. A brief study of EV Ownership Economics
    1. Fuel cost per mile
    2. Tipping the economic balance in favor of electricity
    3. Charging cost at home versus in public
    4. The high cost of free charging
  11. Electric car charging technology
    1. Charging levels - Level 1, Level 2, DC Fast Charging, etc
    2. EV DC Fast Charging standards – CHAdeMO, CCS, SAE Combo, Tesla Supercharger, etc
    3. EV AC Fast Charging Systems – Renault ZOE, Smart ED
    4. Fast charge adapters are possible, but how many really need CHAdeMO-CCS adapters?
    5. Why does charging a battery take so long? Hint: reversible electrochemical reactions cannot be rushed
    6. Wouldn't battery swapping be preferable over waiting to recharge?
    7. Can an electric car be charged while driving? Such as a battery pack in a trailer?
    8. When will electric cars charge as fast as a gasoline car? (5 minutes to recharge)
    9. What is the technical limitations on maximum electric car charging rate, why is the Tesla Supercharger limited to 120 kW?
    10. Safely use Extension Cords when charging an electric car or electric motorcycle
    11. Informal electric car charging at any power outlet, versus a regular charging station
    12. When are electric car extension cords required?
    13. Electric car charging within electrical code and power outlet limits
    14. Is it safe to charge an electric car in the rain?
    15. Why do all-electric cars not have a small (efficient) generator for a limp home to ease range anxiety?
    16. Why is there a 12 volt lead-acid battery, and how is it charged in an electric car?
  12. About the Author - David Herron
  13. Copyright

These applications help you find charging stations for any charging station network.  While most automakers include charging station data in the embedded infotainment system, that may be stale or otherwise incomplete.  Likewise the charging station networks only show information about their charging stations, but not those belonging to competing networks.   While that's useful, we really want a complete list of all charging stations to give ourselves the broadest choice.  The following app's do so.

These app's are not affiliated with specific charging networks.  See our list of charging station networks for charging network smart phone app's.

How do you find the closest charging station of any type?  Use one of these apps, because they're not limited to specific charging networks.

How do you find the best charging station for your need, such as the closest fast charging station?  Some of these apps let you filter based on criteria like the fast charging protocol.

How do you know if a charging station is available, or working, before driving to the station?  This is a little tricky because the apps below often cannot access information about the current status.  Instead, charging station status is often only visible through the charging network's smart phone app.  However, some of these apps let users "check in" with status information like whether the station is working, which can alert others to broken stations.

How do you find a charging station once you've reached its vicinity?  Some of these apps let users upload pictures or other information.  If you're having trouble, look it up in the app to see if there's any advice.  You can pay it forward by uploading your own hard-won advice.

CarStations

CarStationsOffers a world-spanning map of charging station locations. However, going by the stations listed for my neighborhood their map is incomplete.

Users can leave information about the charging stations, and upload pictures.

Users can add information about charging stations.

See: (carstations.com) http://carstations.com/

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/us/app/carstations

Charge&Pay for Mercedes-Benz

Charge and PayIn collaboration with several charging network operators, MBZ offers this app to help find and access charging stations. Currently it only covers Germany, but should add coverage of Great Britain and other areas of Europe shortly.

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/de/app/charge-pay-fur-mercedes-benz

Charging Stations in Norway

Charging Stations in NorwayAs implied by the name, this app lists charging stations in Norway. Electric cars are very popular there, thanks to great government incentives.

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

EV ChargeHub's EV & Tesla Charging Stations Map App

EV ChargeHubLists charging station locations in USA and Canada for the Tesla Model S and the J1772-plug cars.

Users can leave information about the charging stations, and upload pictures.

Users can add information about charging stations.

Users can "share" their home charging station.

Users can chat with each other through the application.

Users can send an "unplug request" to ask whether it's okay to do so.

Users can make a list of favorite charging stations for easy access.

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/us/app/ev-tesla-charging-stations Or: itunes.apple.com/us/app/ev-charge-hub-electric-vehicle

Go Electric Stations

Go Electric StationsThis app has a world-wide database of charging station information, and going by the stations listed in my neighborhood it's sort of up-to-date. They're missing a few, but have more up-to-date data than some of the other apps. They do offer the option of individuals listing their home charging station on the map.

Their app has the option of initiating and paying for the charging session directly from the app. However, that's only for network(s) where they've worked out a deal.

User can select charging stations by any type of charging port.

Users can add new charging stations to the map.

Users can take pictures of and leave comments about charging stations.

See: (www.goelectricstations.com) http://www.goelectricstations.com/

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/us/app/next-charge-electric-vehicle

EV Connect

The company sells charging stations, charging station network services, and offers an app that supposedly lists the stations in their network. However, the map doesn't show anything. Very curious. Not recommended at all.

See: (www.evconnect.com) http://www.evconnect.com/

LEMnet

LEMnetCharging station map for Europe.

See: (lemnet.org) http://lemnet.org/en/

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/en/app/lemnet

Open Charge Map (Zero Carbon World / ZeroNet)

Open Charge MapThis is a global scale map of electric car charging stations. As of this writing they have info on 43152 charging stations across 28859 locations. However, looking at the information in my neighborhood they list one that is absolutely not there (the Coda of Silicon Valley dealership, that went out of business a couple years ago) and do not list a couple that are most definitely there (Stevens Creek Kia, that started selling EV's last fall).

The OCM team develops the OCM software as an open source project and is seeking donations and other support.

Users can add new charging stations through the application.

Users can add comments or pictures through the application.

See: (openchargemap.org) http://openchargemap.org/

Android (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/us/app/open-charge-map

Windows Phone: (fave.co) www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/open-charge-map

PlugShare

PlugShareThis is the best charging station locator application available. They have collected the most complete tally of charging stations from all charging station networks, as well as individual PlugShare users. Their map coverage extends around the world.

The "Pay with Plugshare" feature lets you pay usage fees for charging stations where you're not a member, and PlugShare has a business relationship.

If you're having trouble with a specific charging station, maybe a fellow electric car owner has reported in PlugShare a recommended fix or has documented conversation with the charging station owner.

Users can leave comments or photo's about charging stations.

Users can add new charging station information.

Users can list/share their home charging station.

See: (plugshare.com) http://plugshare.com/

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/us/app/plugshare

PlugSurfing

PlugSurfingIn collaboration with several charging network operators in Germany and other parts of Europe, they offer a comprehensive charging station map. At most stations you can pay for sessions through the app, but for a few you must get a PlugSurfing keyfob.  It's not useful for people outside Europe.

If you want to be properly jealous, take a look at the Netherlands.

See: (www.plugsurfing.com) https://www.plugsurfing.com/

Android: (play.google.com) play.google.com/store/apps/details

iPhone/iPad: (fave.co) itunes.apple.com/app/plugsurfing

Range Confidence is Copyright © 2016-17 by David Herron

About the Author(s)

David Herron : David Herron is a writer and software engineer focusing on the wise use of technology. He is especially interested in clean energy technologies like solar power, wind power, and electric cars. David worked for nearly 30 years in Silicon Valley on software ranging from electronic mail systems, to video streaming, to the Java programming language, and has published several books on Node.js programming and electric vehicles.
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