The growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in India has increased the need for easy access to charging stations. As of August 2024, India had around 26,176 AC chargers and 2,440 DC chargers. With more EVs on the road, finding a reliable electric car charging station near you is becoming essential. This is where EV charging apps come in handy. They help simplify the EV charging process by showing available chargers, navigating users to the nearest station, and offering smooth payment options.
After doing an in-depth feature analysis of different charging apps in India, we have made a list of the best EV Charging Apps that come in handy for EV owners, along with their benefits, and selection criteria.
Top 10 EV Charging Apps in India
Here’s a list of the top EV charging apps in India:
| App | Real-Time Update | Type | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Map | No | Aggregator | Route Planning |
| Tata Power EZ | Yes | Network-Specific | Booking Option |
| Statiq | Yes | Aggregator | Supports third-party chargers |
| PlugShare | No | Aggregator | User reviews and ratings |
| EV Plugs | Yes | Aggregator | Connector Filter |
| Ather App | Yes | Network-Specific | Real-time updates, remote tracking |
| Ola Electric App | Yes | Network-Specific | Route planning, station info |
| ElectricPe | Yes | Aggregator | Flexible subscription plans |
| e-Amrit | No | Aggregator | Government-backed data |
| Ecomap | No | Aggregator | Simple interface |
When it comes to choosing an EV charging app, they generally fall into two categories: Aggregator Apps and Network-Specific Apps.
Aggregator EV Charging Apps
These apps gather data from multiple charging networks and present it in a single, unified platform like a website or mobile app. This is ideal for EV owners who travel across different regions, ensuring they can always find a charging station, no matter where they are.
1. Google Maps
Google Maps is well-known for finding routes, but it’s also useful for locating EV charging stations. While it offers an easy-to-use interface, it doesn’t provide real-time updates about station availability. Dedicated EV apps like PlugShare offer more specific features tailored to EV users.
Website: Google Maps
2. Statiq
Statiq is a popular charging app offering real-time updates and supporting third-party charging options. It recently introduced third-party listing features to make its platform a unified aggregator of EV chargers. Its ability to provide real-time information on charger availability is a huge plus, especially compared to apps like Google Maps. Its extensive network coverage makes it a reliable choice.
3. PlugShare
PlugShare is a leading EV Charger aggregator app in India, known for its wide coverage of charging stations and user-generated data to help first-time visitors. It offers detailed information on charger compatibility, availability, and user reviews of the station. Compared to Google Maps, it provides more specific information for EV owners.
4. ElectricPe
ElectricPe offers an economical option for frequent EV users to locate and navigate to the nearest EV charging station. It offers a filter to select states, cities, and charger networks. Their web portal shows the operator’s name, user ratings, address, and the charging tariff.
5. EV Plugs
EV Plugs is India’s first charging station aggregator, offering features like navigation and filters for EV charger connector types. It is focused on the Indian market to provide a tailored experience, making it a great option for Indian EV owners.
6. e-Amrit
It is an official web portal of the central government aimed at accelerating EV adoption by featuring nationwide data on EV chargers. The app is backed by the Government of India and provides data on public charging stations nationwide. Although it’s reliable for finding public AC and DC chargers, it may lack some of the user-friendly features found in other private apps, like real-time updates or reservations.
Official Website: E-Amrit
7. Ecomaps
Ecomaps is a simple website yet feature-rich web portal that helps users find EV charging stations near them. It offers similar advanced features offered by other apps like Statiq and PlugShare but without the hassle of signups and logins.
Official Website: Ecomaps
Network-Specific EV Charging Apps
These apps are designed by individual networks, CPOs, and vehicle manufacturers to offer a more tailored experience. They tend to work best for users who regularly use a specific charging network, offering extra features like reservation options and seamless integration with their vehicles.
8. Tata Power EZ Charge
Tata Power’s app stands out because of its feature to book charging slots by time, which isn’t something most apps offer. It also has multiple payment options, making it easier for users to pay. However, it’s limited to Tata Power’s EV charging network, which might not be ideal for those traveling outside the network. It is not compatible with chargers beyond the company-operated ones.
9. Ather Energy App
The Ather Energy app is specifically made for Ather electric scooter users. It provides real-time updates on nearby EV chargers and lets users track their charging progress remotely. However, it’s only useful for Ather vehicles, which limits its appeal to non-Ather electric scooter owners.
10. Ola Electric App
The Ola Electric App is designed for Ola electric scooter owners. It provides useful features like route planning and charging station information. However, similar to the Ather Energy app, it’s limited to owners of Ola Scooters.
Also Read: Profit/Loss in EV Charging Stations Business in India
How EV Charging Apps Help EV Owners
EV charging apps make life easier for EV owners by simplifying the process of finding and using charging stations. These apps offer in-app navigation features to guide EV owners to the nearby EV Charger. They also integrate with navigation tools, like Google Maps, in case the app has no in-app navigation.
Additionally, many offer the features of real-time station availability that show whether a station is in use or available, so drivers can save time and energy visiting the station. Once charging begins, users can monitor the progress remotely, allowing them to attend to other tasks.
Payment is made seamless in these apps, with most offering cashless options. Moreover, they provide detailed information about the charger type, speed, ratings from other users, and connector type, helping EV owners choose the best option for their vehicles.
Guides to Choose EV Charging App
Choosing the best EV charging app can be tricky with so many options available in the app stores. A user-friendly interface is an important aspect that makes the app easy to navigate, while real-time updates are another important feature users have to look out for when choosing charging apps to save time at unavailable stations.
Also, Coverage is another important factor to consider while choosing charging apps, as some apps are limited to their charger-specific networks, while others aggregate data from multiple sources, offering a broader and unified solution. Features like the ability to book charging slots, check per kW tariff, and monitor charging progress remotely add convenience.
Payment flexibility is also crucial in these apps because as a user on the road, it can be torturous to download multiple apps for navigation and payment. Look out for user reviews on app stores as they offer insights into the app’s reliability posted by EV owners.
User Reviews
We asked some of the EV owners in our social media groups to review their daily EV charging apps, here’s what they have to say:
Priya, a Tata Nexon EV owner says, “Tata Power EZ Charge makes it so easy to find and reserve charging stations. The multiple payment options are a big plus!”
Ankit, Ola S1 Pro owner, “ElectricPe’s web portal is perfect for my daily commute. I love how I can choose chargers using multiple filter options”
Suman, Mahindra 3XO owner, “Statiq’s real-time updates are incredibly accurate. I never have to worry about finding an available charging station.”
Looking ahead, EV charging apps are set to become even more advanced. We expect to see IoT integration and vehicle connectivity for aggregators, AI-powered station recommendations based on driving patterns and availability, and many more.
In conclusion, EV charging apps are crucial for finding and using charging stations more easily and more efficiently. By comparing different EV charging apps mentioned above and understanding their features, you can select the one that best fits your driving habits and preferences.
While you choose the best EV charging app for your electric car or scooter, find the nearest station with our ecomap aggregator.
The best app depends on what you need. Statiq and PlugShare are good for wide coverage and real-time updates. Meanwhile, Tata Power EZ Charge lets you reserve slots but works only on Tata’s network. ElectricPe is great for flexible payment and subscription options.
Apps like Statiq, Tata Power EZ Charge, and PlugShare can help to find nearby electric car charging stations, make payments, and track charging progress. These apps offer real-time updates and cover multiple charging networks for convenience.
Aggregator apps or unified EV charging apps compile information from various charging networks, giving users access to more stations in a single app.
Yes, some network-specific charging apps, like Tata Power EZ Charge, allow users to reserve charging slots in advance.
Popular EV charging apps like Statiq and PlugShare provide real-time information on charger availability. They offer details on the station’s availability and user feedback.
Yes, the Government’s e-Amrit app offers data on public charging stations nationwide but may lack advanced features like real-time updates.