No matter what you need, chances are that there’s a great app to make life easier. This is true for electric car owners as well. Many consumers are interested in green cars, but hesitate due to concerns about not being able to find a charging spot (which is really not as much of a concern as it’s made out to be). Some simply feel that they don’t have enough information about how electric cars work, period. Today’s range of apps helps address these concerns, doing everything from monitoring your electric vehicle’s battery life to finding a nearby charging station. Recargo and Xatori are two of the industry’s leaders, experiencing rapid growth throughout 2013. They have just issued a press release announcing that the two companies plan on merging, allowing them to create even more user-friendly apps in the future.
Both companies have doubled their membership in 2013, signifying that there’s a strong consumer interest in using technology to make electric car ownership more enjoyable. Their success is due in part to the strategy of using a social media community to crowdsource information for up-to-date services. The two companies both already have apps on the market to locate nearby charging stations, but these will be combined into a single comprehensive directory.
Types of Apps
At the moment, there are three main types of electric car apps on the market. The first are apps like those described above, which help owners of electric vehicles find nearby charging locations. The second are monitoring apps. These help car owners keep tabs on the current state of their electric vehicle and control it. Monitoring apps can do everything from track battery usage to preheat the car. Finally, informative apps are designed for consumers who want to find out more about electric cars in general. These help them to read up-to-date car reviews and find out if an electric vehicle will be the best fit for their needs.
Best-Selling Apps
Recargo and Xatori are leaders in best-selling apps, with the Recargo Station Finder allowing users to not only search for charging stations, but also connect to the latest electric vehicle news. Xatori’s PlugShare is a social network which allows users to interact with other electric car owners. They can share charging stations and reviews of the latest products and vehicles. Recargo’s Station Finder also includes a social aspect, connecting with Yelp to help drivers find nearby food and activity options. These apps will combine in the near future under the PlugShare label.
There are many informative apps out there to help drivers decide whether an electric vehicle is right for them. One of these is iEV 2, which helps you compare electric vehicles or conventional vehicles in an easy-to-interpret format. For example, you can look at Nissan Leaf reviews and then you can look at Subaru Forester reviews and you can see how the reviews compare. Individual electric car brands also often come equipped with their own monitoring apps. The Volvo C30 Electric and Nissan Leaf both offer apps for drivers to manage their vehicles on the road. GreenCharge is another Xatori app which helps drivers by analysing driving patterns and charging costs to help you plan journeys more efficiently.
With over 180,000 electric vehicles on the road worldwide at the end of 2012, it seems that more consumers than ever are embracing this technology. As a result, the development of handy electric car apps can be expected to continue in the year to come.