Apps will get the most out of your electric
Today we are witnessing the greatest change in the automotive industry, and therefore in mobility, in the last hundred years. The imperative need to reduce polluting emissions and improve air quality in the city has pushed us to definitely bet on electrification in our vehicles in one way or another. Battery electric, plug-in hybrids, extended autonomy, fuel cell …
And there the mobile phone is becoming one more element of your vehicle, and in the case of the electric car it is almost a essential tool. To facilitate its use, and thus get the most out of this technology, the brands offer associated services for which you only need to have a mobile device.
In this way, plan a trip with the cheapest charging points and send the route to the navigator of the car, schedule the charge at the time that interests you the most or program the climate control so that it is to your liking when you get in the car are some of the things you can do with these applications and associated services. In this way, and in a great variety, you can also know the status of your electric car with different apps.
Development of technologies and systems
Still, the reality is that the development of technology and next-generation cars are moving along similar paths. We see it with the known as Internet of Things, from which from our own mobile phone it is already possible to control the main characteristics of the electric car.
Thus, in a fully connected way, we can access different applications and digital tools that will favor us, in every way, the use of the car. These come not only from companies like Google or Electromaps, the main ones that will help us find charging points, but also from the brands and manufacturers themselves.
In this sense, what we know is that with them we can adjust yields and take full advantage of our electrified in such a way that driving will be only a process of attention to the road without other distractions. We see it with brands like EQ, Mercedes’ smart electric mobility firm. This gives us access to measure the parameters of the car, such as the kilometers to travel, the routes, road recording … we have different utilities in the form of apps.
Most useful tools
Connecting the mobile phone to the car means expanding the possibilities of the vehicle within areas such as navigation, music playback or messaging. But, as we have seen in the previous section, there is much more. Something important that these apps mark is that the security It must be the first strength in our electric car.
Especially since any distraction using the phone can be a catastrophe. Hence, there are systems that are designed to run applications avoiding any distraction as much as possible. In the case of manufacturers, they have been able to respond with models that are well subject to a utilization and adaptability to the times of the connected car.
The best of all is that, regardless of the route and the paths we are on, each of them will accommodate all our needs during the trip. In addition, many are integrated into communication standards, interfaces that we already know and that we have very present in our day to day.
Some of these standards are found in smartphones, and hence the success of systems such as Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. It is thus that now a native experience in the use of applications in our car equivalent to the interactions we make with the mobile.
Applications for charging points
For even greater peace of mind for electric car drivers, planning a plug-in trip does not mean spending hours in front of maps or travel guides. Technology also helps in this and it is enough to have an application installed on the smartphone that locates the charging points. If, in addition, it allows you to reserve them in advance and even pay the load, all the better.
With them we find different apps, each one more interesting, and that will have a really good impact on our journeys. Regardless of their functions, they will satisfy all our needs.
- Electromaps. Here we will find a list of all the charging points, as well as their operation. In addition, we can activate free recharge points and access the main paid recharge networks. But be careful, keep in mind that not all the points you see on the map are accessible with Electromaps. If we want to find a specific charging point, we can go to the search engine and put the address of the place. However, with the filter menu you can perform more specific searches. It is one of the few universal apps for our electric car.
- Charge map. Available for both iOS and Android, it stands out for the huge user community that is shared every day by the recharging points that are being added. It has about 200 thousand charging points spread all over the planet, so it could be a real salvation when you go on a trip and rent an electric car in another country. The information is constantly updated.
- Google maps. Google’s also contains the information we need to locate the charging points for your electric car. To find the closest refueling stations you will have to enter keywords such as “charging points for electric cars” and the electric stations will be indicated on the map.
- Nextcharge. It allows you to consult everything related to the electric stations, such as the distance to each one, the type of connector, the power and the availability. It is available for Android and iOS.
Connectivity and driving tools
In the case of 100% electric cars, they require, in turn, to study the routes very well, taking into account the available charging points, so that we do not have to call an assistance service that comes to our rescue. In this way, we have a series of apps that will facilitate the task while we drive our electric car.
That is why brands, little by little, have been integrated by offering their clients formulas so that their use is as comfortable and efficient as possible, and increasing that portfolio of services.
- Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Google and Apple have developed applications so that you can also be connected through your mobile when you travel by car. There are two operating systems integrated into the car’s infotainment system, which allow you to control some of the functions of your mobile phone through voice commands and the controls on the screen and on the vehicle’s control panel.
- MirrorLink. One of the most innovative, it allows the reproduction of our smartphone through the car screen that we can control with its controls or with those on the steering wheel intended for that purpose. Those smartphones compatible with MirrorLink will be able to link to the infotainment system simply via USB or Bluetooth. From there, the car screen will be in charge of showing those applications that are compatible with both the system and driving, being able to drive with the vehicle’s controls.
- Anchor. As one of the most popular podcast platforms out there, Anchor couldn’t be left out of this selection. With this app owned by Spotify, you can explore and listen to thousands of podcasts on any subject, including our podcast on Android and technology.
- Movistar Car. With Movistar you have services such as Wi-Fi in the vehicle, emergency care, maintenance alerts and offers in service areas. Thanks to this device you can get the most out of your car regardless of its age.
- Spotify and Youtube Music. The two music platforms par excellence, Spotify have official apps compatible with the services of electric car brands.
- Volkswagen We Connect. The functionalities of the Volkswagen We Connect app allow electric car users to enjoy connectivity and essential functions when getting into a new generation vehicle. Among the many aspects, there is the option called ‘We Charge’ through which the charges can be programmed remotely, it is also possible to enter variables such as the choice of a charge state at a certain time.
- Free2Move. It offers the Charging Pass functionality, which gives access to almost 200,000 charging points throughout Europe, and the Trip Planner tool, which allows you to plan a trip taking into account the electric stations and charging stations available along the way, something very practical on long journeys .
Instruments to know its efficiency
This is, probably, one of the points to which brands are most accepting for vehicles that have just left the factory. These are several apps that have the function of bringing and making the electric car driver known what is the power that is delivering the engine, if there is any abnormality, if you can make it even stronger …
One of the most advanced, if not the most, is the one that Hyundai has launched for its most recent electrified. The development of these tools, whether for Hyundai, Volkswagen or Mercedes EQ, are part of the electrification strategy of which are all variants of firms that are fully involved with the electrical branch.
- EQ Ready. Made for Mercedes vehicles, it is one of the efficiency applications that is giving the best results among the different manufacturers. As such, it is a tool that builds personal mobility guidelines and compares them with numerous parameters for electric and hybrid vehicles. Its variables focus on the number of kilometers to travel, those already traveled, its time, consumption or trying different driving modes to improve performance.
- Hyundai and Kia car. As we have mentioned, the two South Korean firms launched an instrument that helps the user know the best features of the car and improve their driving. In this way, maximum torque output, ignition capabilities, acceleration and deceleration, regenerative braking ability, maximum speed limit, responsiveness and power usage can be controlled.
- Volkswagen We. A digital platform that brings together services for the driver and applications for mobility in cities that will be able to communicate with their surroundings.