Android Auto getting Google Maps update EV drivers will especially love

Android Auto likes to make its changes slowly and it looks like this latest feature update from Google could help you avoid something else slow – low power EV chargers. According to details found in the latest Android Auto beta, Google is going to make it easier to filter EV chargers.

While ICE vehicles can basically pull up to any fuel station and find what they need, the EV world isn't quite as simple. That's because EV chargers come in different flavours, with high-power rapid chargers great for topping up on the motorway, but low power chargers preferable for a longer charging session.

Google Maps already offers access to details about EV chargers, letting you add them as stops on your route, as well as filtering by charging speed, but that takes a lot of clicking – it's not information that's immediately accessible, because you have to apply those options once you have started your route search.

But thanks to a deeper investigation into the Android Auto beta, Android Authority reports that Google could be planning to change this option. That could mean drivers will be able to set their preferences for Google Maps in general. By tapping on the Settings in Google Maps, you'll be able to access "EV map filters", with options for charger speeds.

Multiple options can be selected, but it means that you can avoid getting results for slow chargers (under 50kW for example), because it's likely that if you're searching for a charger, you probably want a quick charge.

That's not the only filter: it appears that Google is also going to let drivers have a payment filter, so the results will only show chargers where you can actually pay. That will avoid driving out of the way to find that it's an old charger that only accepts RFID cards for account holders.

It's a minor change and arguably, it doesn't go far enough. Having driven a number of EVs, I'd love the option to be able to have a one-tap search for a charger (with all those filters applied) right from the navigation screen. That would help drivers find chargers without digging or messing around – one tap and the details along your route pop up.

There's still a disconnect between Android Auto and the EV driving experience. Google doesn't know the car's range, or how much charge there is, so routing and charging isn't a seamless experience like it is using a car's native software.

For example, EVs can plan a route including the charging stops, they can tell you how much range you'll arrive with, while also playing a more important role, like preconditioning the battery before arriving at a scheduled charging slot to allow for optimal charging conditions.

As the changes to the EV charger options are currently in the Android Auto beta, it's not known if or when they will arrive as an update.