Apple is further expanding on its set of features in Apple Maps for electric car owners, and with the iOS 17 update coming in September this year, EV drivers can use Apple Maps to see real-time charging availability information and choose a preferred charging network.
Apple first announced support for EV routing in Apple Maps back at its annual tech event Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in 2020. The feature eventually debuted for Ford Mustang Mach-E drivers last year, followed by Porsche Taycan drivers earlier this year.
Now, with iOS 17 installed on your iPhone, Apple Maps will prompt you to set up your preferred charging networks for your EV. You can choose from a long list of options, including Electrify America, Chargepoint, Tesla’s Supercharger network, and more.
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Once drivers select their preferred network option, the proprietary maps app from the Cupertino-based tech giant will intelligently show them real-time charging availability information, reports 9to5Mac. For instance, you can see the number of total stalls available at a specific charging station and how many of those are currently occupied.
Based on the electric car you drive, Apple Maps will only show you charging options that are compatible with the charging connector used by your car. In iOS 17 beta 1, the feature still appears to be a work in progress and is missing some of the necessary data.
Apple said: “When driving an electric vehicle, you can now choose a preferred charging network and see real-time charging station availability.”
As of right now, it appears that this feature is only available to cars that support Apple Maps EV routing, which is only the Mach-E and Taycan. But we won’t be surprised to see more and more EV manufacturers see the potential and adopt the feature soon. And with many auto companies already signing on to CarPlay, Apple’s standard which allows the car’s head unit to be a display for an iOS device, this feature may also become a favourite for new models.
