Finding the Best Public Charging Stations for Your Electric Vehicle Road Trip

Apps and Websites for Finding EV Charging Stations During a Road Trip

As electric vehicles (or EVs for short) become more and more mainstream, new charging stations continue to appear across the United States. As of September 2021, the country had almost 43,000 of them, according to Reuters.

Still, that's a far cry from the more than 150,000 U.S. gas stations.And, as Reuters also points out, the distribution of EV chargers is strikingly lopsided, with California having about the same number of public charging stations "as the 39 states with the lowest count combined."

That shouldn't present a problem if you charge your electric car at home, have a reliable local charging station, or program your GPS to self-destruct if you ever try to leave Silicon Valley.

But what if you want to take your EV on a spring or summer road trip? Do you run the risk of running out of juice far from any available plug-in?

It should set your mind at ease to know that Car and Driver has found that most EV models can travel at least 200 miles when fully charged, which gives each charging station a pretty wide range.

Additionally, there are several mobile apps and websites you can use to locate public charging stations when you're on the road. Here are some of the best ones.

Free mobile apps

Two of the most useful websites that also have free mobile apps (both available in the App Store and Google Play) are ChargeHub and PlugShare.

Both online tools feature interactive maps pinpointing the locations of nearby EV charging stations, with filters to help you narrow your search by distance, availability, charger level (1, 2, or DC Fast, which can typically replenish the car's battery power in under an hour, according to USA Today), and other factors.

ChargeHub has an option to let you search for places where you can power up for free. And when you select a station, the app sends you turn-by-turn driving directions via Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze.

PlugShare fills you in on station amenities and has user-generated ratings. The app can be used to pay for charging at some stations.

PlugShare and ChargeHub both have handy trip-planning functionality to map out your charging stops in advance of a long drive, accounting for distance between stations, hours of operation, and other crucial details.

(ChargeHub mobile app)

Both tools are free and make claims of comprehensiveness. But if it comes down to design and ease of use, we think ChargeHub gets the edge.

Government resources

The U.S. Department of Energy also maintains an online Alternative Fueling Station Locator (snappy name, huh?).

Set the filters for electric, choose a charger type, and enter a location to get a map of nearby public charging stations. Click a station on the map to get the address, driving directions, opening hours, and the date when the federal agency last confirmed the station is still operating.

For road trips, there's a feature that lets you map a route between two destinations and find charging stations along the way.

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You'll find neither bells nor whistles on the government site, but the verification dates do let you know how current the data is.

If you're driving in Florida, you might consider downloading the charging station locator from Florida Power & Light. The Miami Herald reports that the state has the second highest count of registered electric vehicles in the U.S., so drivers are fairly well supplied with voltage there.

California has the most registered EVs, but there's no recommendable Golden Statecentric app for charging stations yet.

Other sources for power sources

USA Today recommends downloading the app of whatever automotive brand made your electric vehicle because those companies usually have charging stations available for drivers at dealerships. Tesla even embeds charging station maps in dashboard screens.

And then there's ever-trusty AAA. The motor club lists EV charging stations on its app, too, and, per the Miami Herald, has a mobile EV charging unit in select cities to offer a boost to stranded AAA members.

Find charging stations

Find charging stations

What is ChargeFinder?

Driving on electricity should be easy and then it must also be easy to find your way out in the jungle of all the charging stations in the United States and Canada.

We who started ChargeFinder ourselves experienced a need for an easy-to-navigate service with content that is both up to date and relevant.

No matter where in the world you are out driving, or planning to drive, you should be able to find suitable charging stations, see prices, availability in real time and get info on how to start charging.

ChargeFinder is continuously updated with new functions and new charging stations are added daily. Do you have suggestions and ideas for improvements or are you missing something? Feel free to send an email!

All relevant info in one place

The station page shows the charging speed, outlet type, number outlets, price, which operator owns the station, and other relevant location information.

With ChargeFinder's "Food and Shopping Nearby" it's easy to find out if there are eateries or other points of interest adjacent to the charging station.

To make it easier to find chargers nearby, there is always a list of the nearest charging stations close to the one you are currently viewing. From the overview, you can see station type, which operator owns the station as well as the distance to get there.

A click on the address opens a link to google for those who want to know more details about the place or see pictures.

Are there available charging stations near me?

With ChargeFinder, it is easy to get information about which charging stations are available right now. The information is retrieved in real time from various operators to ensure high reliability. Live status for all major operators in one place is unique and something ChargeFinder is the only one to show.

From the overview there is information about number of chargers that are available, occupied or out of order. With a simple click, the price and availability for each charger is displayed.

ChargeFinder continuously adds new stations and networks with Live status and has the ambition that all chargers that are connected should be included.

A Better Routeplanner

With ChargeFinder's route planner, it is easy to plan charging stops on the trip.

Enter between which cities or places you want to go and ChargeFinder calculates an optimal route based on your choices and criteria.

Quick chargers are shown on the map along the route and distances to the different chargers are presented in the list view. From the overview, it is quick to see if a charger is free or busy. Everything to facilitate planning and avoid queues.

See charging speed directly on the map

Destination chargers usually provide an output from 3 kW to 22 kW. Various shades of orange markers on the map means destination charging. Light orange means 3-7 kW and the darkest orange shade means 22 kW.

The most common are fast chargers that provide 50 kW which are shown in dark blue on the map. Superfast chargers (HPC - High Power Chargers) are chargers that give an effect from 100 kW up to 350 kW. Chargers with power over 100 kW are shown with a purple marker on the charging map.

Tesla and Ionity are visualized on the map with its icon for respective networks.

Updated content with high quality

ChargeFinder is continuously updated with new charging stations from the larger charging networks, individual smaller players and a variety of other data sources. The information is continuously supplemented and refined with the help of ambassadors and our growing community.

If a station is missing from the charging map, it is easy for anyone to add. It is also possible to edit and update information on all existing stations.

The combination of real-time data, a dedicated team and engaged users is what together creates high quality of our content.

ChargeFinder is where you are

Our ambition is to be available on all platforms and in all formats. ChargeFinder works with a modern browser on all types of devices and screen sizes.

ChargeFinder is available as an app for iOS and Android. Download the app from Apple App Store or Google Play.

ChargeFinder will eventually also be available as apps in Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Android Automotive.

Charging stations in cities

Specific city pages provide a good overview of charging stations in a particular city. For larger cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Seattle you can find more information about charging stations.

Search for a city and you will land on a page for that particular city. City pages are available for both larger and smaller cities.

With a simple click, you can share a link to a city page with your friends and on social media. Or why not add a link from your own website.

Outlets/plugs and map filters

CCS is the European standard for fast charging and Type 2 for destination charging. Type 2 and CCS are combined in the same connector and is therefore often called CCS / Combo. CHAdeMO is a standard for fast charging which is mainly found on Asian car brands. Often offered both CCS and CHAdeMO on fast chargers, but CCS will dominate in Europe to come.

Tesla previously had its own standard, but is switching to CCS successively. In Europe, Tesla's v3 Superchargers are built with CCS only. So far, only Tesla's cars can charge at Superchargers.

Filters on the map make it easier to find the right one. Filter on charging speed, free charger, show or hide Tesla chargers and more. Soon there will also be the opportunity to filter on different network or to show what fits a particular car model.

Are there free charging stations near me or what is the charging cost?

Using your gps and our smart filters you can easily find the nearest free charging station for your car. For those that are not free or have paid parking you can read about this in the comments.

Price information is available for several charging networks and is updated regularly. In some countries, price information is already available for most charging stations, while in other countries we are working on adding prices for more networks.

If you have information about prices where this is missing for a certain operator or network, feel free to send us an e-mail and we will make sure to update.

2024 - ChargeFinder - Charging stations for electric cars (EV)

The ultimate guide to road tripping with an electric car

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

The past couple of years have changed the travel world in many ways, but two things stand out to me: road trips and electric cars.

Early in the pandemic, we saw road trips take the spotlight during a coronavirus-fueled dip in air travel. Even after vaccines helped air travel rebound, many travelers still prefer to take the great American road trip when visiting national parks, cities and everywhere in between.

At the same time, more and more drivers are switching to electric cars, with adoption steadily rising both in the U.S. and abroad. This has become more prevalent as gas prices continue to rise due to world conflict and supply chain issues, and even rental car companies have begun to add EVs to their fleets.

Related: 5 lessons learned from taking a road trip in the age of coronavirus

After a summer of rental car road trips, I purchased a used 2016 BMW i3 in August 2020. It's a range-extended electric compact car, meaning that it also has a small gas motor that can charge the battery on the go. This, combined with the car being a hatchback, makes it in my opinion the ultimate road trip vehicle for those living in a major city like New York.

Since buying the i3, I've taken it on a couple of short trips. It's a different experience than road tripping with a gas car, and newcomers to the electric car world might be deterred if they don't know what to expect.

In this article, I'll share some tips I've picked up while on the road with my EV. I'll discuss everything from what to look for when buying an EV for road trips to how to find charging stations. I'll also share some trip-planning tips.

Let's dive (drive?) in!

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Choosing an electric car for road trips

There are some important considerations if you're in the market for an electric car and plan on road tripping it. Here are some elements to examine as you go through the car buying process, such as car range and whether or not you should purchase a plug-in hybrid.

Related: Should I buy a used car instead of renting this summer?

Criteria for a road-trip capable electric car

It's important to look for a car that has appropriate range for the trips you plan to take. So, don't buy a car with an 80-mile range if you plan to take 500+ mile road trips regularly. That said, you don't need an ultra-long-range electric car for these trips. Something like the BMW i3 94ah has a 153-mile range which if you don't mind making a few stops can be a good bet for longer trips.

Consider a long-range Tesla or a Chevrolet Bolt if you want to avoid frequent charges. These cars have well over 200 miles of electric range. This means you're subject to less charging stops, but you'll generally spend more on the car. This is especially true on the used market where long-range cars tend to have a higher resale value.

In my opinion, road trippers should avoid cars like the Fiat 500e and the electric Mercedes-Benz B-Class. These cars have sub-100-mile electric range and don't offer a range extender option. That means you'll have to charge frequently on long trips. Further, these cars may not be able to handle longer trips that don't have chargers en route.

Related: The pros and cons of Amex's Auto Purchasing Program

Consider a plug-in hybrid or range-extended vehicle

Further, you may want to consider an electric car that's not fully electric. You have two options here: plug-in hybrids and range-extended electric vehicles. The former are essentially standard hybrid vehicles with larger batteries that can be charged externally. These cars generally have 15 to 50 miles of electric range and full-size gas tanks.

That said, these vehicles don't have a fully electric driving experience and don't generally offer fast charging options (more on that soon). I find these cars less fun to drive and if you want to drive in electric mode considerably more inconvenient to charge. At the same time, they can make great road-trip vehicles with a gas engine.

On the other hand, range-extended electric cars are fully electric vehicles with a small gas motor. This motor effectively charges the car's battery to provide additional range when driving long distances. My BMW i3 is equipped with the range extender option, and it's saved me on longer trips where I find myself far away from a public charger.

I prefer range-extended cars to plug-in hybrids since you always have the electric driving experience (think: immediate torque). Plus, these cars are usually equipped with fast charging and other EV-specific technology features.

Related: The best credit cards for purchasing a car

DC fast charging is key for a sane road trip

Here's a big one: only purchase a car with included DC fast charging if you plan on road tripping. More and more fast chargers are popping up around the country which can charge a vehicle as in the case of the BMW i3 to 80% in just 45 minutes. This is possible as fast chargers commonly called Level 3 chargers provide up to 250kW+ per hour.

On the other hand, a vehicle without this option can only use Level 2 public chargers, which charge at around 11kW per hour. This is still faster than plugging in at home but will take a ton of extra time to charge when on the go. Going back to the i3 example, it takes around three hours to charge from 0% to 80%.

This option is even more important when on long road trips. If you have to wait hours every time your vehicle runs low on battery, it will take you quite a long time to get to your destination. On the other hand, a 45-minute stop is enough time to grab lunch and set navigation to your next charge point or final destination.

Thankfully, almost all new fully electric vehicles and range-extended cars are equipped with fast charging. Some older electric cars don't have this option, though, so make sure to inquire about it before you go for a test drive. Some cars that aren't equipped with this feature include some 2014 and 2015 BMW i3s, all models of the Fiat 500e and some older Nissan Leafs.

Check battery degradation when buying a used car

Plan on buying used? Make sure to check the car's battery status before you buy. Like all batteries, the battery inside of an electric car will degrade over time. This is normal, but excessive degradation can make your road trip life difficult. You can usually check battery status on the car's infotainment system.

Thankfully, most electric cars have long battery warranties. For example, my used BMW i3 has a 100,000 mile/eight-year warranty on the battery, meaning I'm covered through 2024 on my 2016 model. According to BMW, a battery replacement can be authorized if a battery degrades 30% or more during the warranty period.

How to plan a road trip with an electric car

As discussed, road tripping with an electric car is different than with a gas car. It requires a bit more planning for pure electric vehicles which while tedious isn't too bad once you get the hang of it. Let's take a look at how I plan road trips in my electric car.

Plan your route around fast chargers and be mindful of range

First things first: You'll need to charge when out on the road, so you must plan your driving route around available public chargers located near highways, expressways or wherever else you're driving. You'll need to charge before your battery dies to avoid calling roadside assistance, but there's a bit more to it than this.

Unfortunately, electric car range is dynamic. You'll use more battery when accelerating quickly, going up hills and when using climate control. Always give yourself at least a 10% buffer when looking for chargers. This means that if you have a car with a 100-mile range, plan chargers that are no more than 90 miles apart.

Additionally, try and stick to fast chargers when you're on the road. This ensures that you're not stuck at a given charger for hours while waiting for your car to charge. Instead, you can plug in for 30 to 40 minutes and you're back on the road without issue.

You can plan your trips manually or use an app like PlugShare. I'll go in-depth on this app in the next section, but in short, it's a crowdsourced directory of all chargers available near your location. The app's built-in route planner can be a huge timesaver when mapping out long, multi-charge road trips.

Look for hotels with chargers

Another way to save time on charging is by staying at hotels that offer electric car charging in their parking lots or garages. These are becoming more and more common, and oftentimes charging is either free or included with the parking fee. These are generally Level 2 chargers, though, so they're best suited for charging overnight.

No charging at your hotel? Ask the hotel staff if they have an outdoor plug you can use. Most electric vehicles include a Level 1 wall charger that can be used with any standard wall socket. If the hotel is OK with it, this charger will slowly charge your vehicle overnight and give you at least enough power to make it to your next destination.

Related: 7 mistakes every road tripper makes at least once

Use these apps and charging networks to find public chargers

Now that you know how to plan a trip, let's take a look at the best way to find public chargers. As mentioned in the last section, several charging networks exist nationwide in the U.S. Some of these include ChargePoint and Electrify America. That said, there are many non-networked public chargers that you can find in parking garages and on city streets.

Here's a look at the apps and charging networks I use on electric car road trips. Before you head out on your first electric road trip, make sure to download these.

PlugShare for most public chargers

PlugShare is a community-powered electric charger app. You can use this app to view networked, non-networked and home chargers that are open to the public. Even better, you can sort chargers by speed, connector type and cost. This can be immensely helpful when trying to find a fast charger on a long trip.

Further, the app has a trip-planning feature that will help you find electric car charge points along a given route. Just enter your origin and destination and the app will show you all the chargers nearby. You can even input your car's range to plan your route around charging stops.

Tesla owners are also in luck with the ChargePoint app. It shows all Tesla Destination Chargers, SuperChargers and other compatible chargers on the map. Just toggle on the Tesla connector in the app and locations will appear on the map.

ChargePoint has chargers around the US

ChargePoint is one of the biggest electric car charging networks in the U.S., offering both Level 2 and Level 3 chargers in major cities and along some major highways. Many ChargePoint locations will show on the PlugShare app, but I recommend downloading both apps, as PlugShare will often miss specific chargers. Also, you can use the ChargePoint app to pay for charging at several charging locations.

One word of caution: The ChargePoint app sometimes shows chargers that aren't available for public use. This is especially the case here in New York where many city vehicles have transitioned to plug-in hybrids or full electric vehicles. Keep an eye out for this when looking for places to charge.

Electrify America for DC fast chargers near highways

In the Northeast, I almost exclusively use Electrify America chargers on road trips. The company has a huge network of fast chargers located both within cities and near major highways, usually located at Walmarts, Targets and other shopping centers. Pricing is pretty reasonable, too it varies based on how fast you're able to charge and you can get a discount by signing up for a membership ($4 per month).

Using these chargers is remarkably simple. Just drive up, plug in your car and select the charger you're using on the Electrify America app to start charging. The charge fee is billed to your credit card after you're finished charging.

One downside to Electrify America, however, is that its stations can be unreliable. On a recent drive from Philadelphia to New York, I stopped at a charger only to find three of the four available chargers were out of service. The fourth charger was in use, so I called tech support who offered me a free fill-up at a nearby charger.

Earn bonus miles on electric car charging

Since you'll usually pay for charging when on the road, why not earn miles in the process? Most chargers do not code as travel, so you'll want to use a credit card that earns extra points on general spending. There's a variety of these cards on the market, and some of our favorites include:

If you're completing a credit card spending requirement, you may want to use it to pay for your charging. For example, I use my Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card to pay for charging so I can earn bonus Medallion Qualifying Miles to qualify for Delta elite status.

Related: Maximizing points and miles on summer road trips

Bottom line

Road tripping in an electric car is different from a road trip in a gasoline car, but it's still fun. In fact, I've often found that road trips are more enjoyable in my EV as I see new places I otherwise wouldn't. On top of this, money saved on gas can be used to stay in better hotels and eat at nicer restaurants. Sounds like a win-win to me.

I think the biggest takeaway is to always be mindful of your range. Planning your route along charge points and stopping to charge before you need to charge is key to an enjoyable and stress-free trip. If this isn't for you, consider a range-extended electric car or a plug-in hybrid for more flexibility.

Drive safe!

Feature photo by Andrew Kunesh/The Points Guy.