Google to use AI to plan electric car trips with charging stop recommendations

EV charging is still not a convenient solution and routes need to be charted according to functionality and best distances. Google is using graph theory to present charging stop recommendations.

A Tesla logo is seen on a 250kW electric vehicle charging station at the Tesla Inc. supercharger station on January 4, 2021 in Hawthorne, California. (AFP)

Google has a new feature for electric vehicle owners that uses artificial intelligence to work through all the public charging stations while charting the best route for a trip. The fact that such a level of technology is needed to create such a route map is indicative of the fact that EV charging in America is quite a nightmare still.

In a blog Google has written about how route planning in an EV (electronic vehicle) can be like “solving a puzzle” and EV owners need to find the right charging station within range that also has the specific plug that their car needs to charge.

This new feature Google has brought about will only work for electric vehicles with Google's native Android Automotive system installed as their primary operating system. Right now, the only two models that support Android Automotive are the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Polestar 2. Google did say that more are on the way.

Google is using a new routing algorithm that uses a type of math called “graph theory” to give charging stop recommendations to EV owners based on their location, the amount of range left in their vehicle and the kind of plug their vehicle needs.

“Now when you enter a destination that requires two or more recharge stops, algorithms in Maps will search and filter through tens to thousands of public charging stations to find the most efficient route — all in less than 10 seconds. You can see how long each charge will take and your updated total trip time, so your final ETA will never again be a mystery,” Google explained.

Google Maps also recently added a new feature that lets you search for charging stations based on the plugs on offer. But this new feature that Google is using incorporates more data about your range and plug type.

This algorithmic route planning also works on shorter trips and will soon be updated to include details about methods of payment accepted at the charging stations for European customers.