You can now locate electric vehicle charging stations on Google Maps

An electric vehicle charging station built and operated by BC Hydro. (BC Hydro)

A new feature on Google Maps now provides drivers of electric vehicles (EV) with the ability to easily search for charging stations.

Google announced the capability yesterday, which shows information such as the types of charging ports available, charging speeds, and the number of ports at each station.

As well, businesses that have built charging station infrastructure can now feature a link to information about their own chargers.

Supplemental information submitted by users, including photos, ratings, reviews, and questions, are also displayed.

Google Maps electric vehicle charging station search function. (Google)

A quick search for “EV charging stations” or “EV charging” on Google Maps on both Android and iOS versions will populate results of the nearest charging stations. This same search capability will be launched on desktop over the coming weeks.

While some EV manufacturers already have charging station locators built into their navigation systems, many drivers are instead choosing to use app-based platforms.

EV demand is surging in Canada, with sales for such vehicles rising by 75% during the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period last year. Although the proportion is rising, EV sales accounted for just 5% of all passenger car sales in the first quarter.

The number of available charging stations has rapidly grown in recent years, particularly in Ontario, Quebec, and BC where EVs have seen a quicker uptick in adoption.

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