If you've never had an electric car, you might not know that there are multiple charging connectors used by different makers - Nissan's vehicles use CHAdeMO, BMW and VW use CCS, Tesla uses its own proprietary connector, and so on. Google Maps added the ability to search for charging stations earlier this year, and now you can filter results based on what type of plugs are available.
When you search for charging stations, a new plug dropdown menu appears in the filter bar. Here, you can tell Google Maps what exact plugs you want to search for (e.g. the plugs available on your car), and the results will be trimmed down to match.
Google Maps also has a new 'Electric vehicle settings' option in the app settings (accessible via the hamburger menu), where you can change what plugs you prefer. It's the same screen that's in the dropdown menu, just in another place.
While many other apps have had this functionality for years, like my personal favorite PlugShare, it's great to see Google Maps add this crucial feature. No more showing up to a Tesla Supercharger with your BMW i3.
Thanks: Zachary, Moshe
