Electric Vehicles

Essential EV Apps Guide

December 2025 7 min read

The right apps can transform your EV ownership experience from frustrating to seamless. From finding chargers to planning road trips to tracking your costs, here are the essential apps every EV owner should have on their phone.

Route Planning Apps

The most accurate EV trip planner. ABRP knows the real-world efficiency of virtually every EV model and factors in elevation changes, weather, driving speed, and even your car's current battery state of charge.

Enter car model, departure & destination

Optimized charging stop suggestions

Adjust speed, climate & other factors

Connect to car API for real-time data

Free basic version available

Premium unlocks advanced features

Charger Finding Apps

The most comprehensive charging station database. Essential for any EV owner, showing virtually every charger—public, workplace, and even home chargers shared by owners.

All charger types in one place

User reviews with photos & tips

Real-time availability (some networks)

Filter by connector, network, speed

Reliability ratings

Check-in feature to report status

Network-Specific Apps

You'll need these to actually start and pay for charging sessions:

Tesla

Supercharger access for Tesla and other brands

Electrify America

Large highway network with fast chargers

ChargePoint

Largest overall network, mostly Level 2

EVgo

Urban-focused DC fast charging

Shell Recharge

Growing network at gas stations

Pro tip: Download and set up accounts for all major networks BEFORE you need them. Nothing worse than standing at a charger trying to create an account.

Your Car's Manufacturer App

Every EV maker has a companion app. Tesla, Ford, Rivian, Hyundai, BMW, and others all have feature-rich apps. Set it up immediately:

Check Charge Status

See current battery level and time until full

Precondition Cabin

Heat or cool while plugged in (preserves range)

Lock/Unlock Remotely

Never worry about forgetting to lock

Locate Your Car

Find where you parked in any lot

Set Charging Schedule

Charge during off-peak hours automatically

Receive Alerts

Notifications when charging complete or interrupted

Cost Tracking & Optimization

Connects to your EV and your utility account to optimize charging. Automatically charges during cheapest electricity hours.

Auto-charge during cheapest hours

Track charging costs accurately

See savings vs. gas

Grid-friendly charging support

Detailed analytics for Tesla owners. Deep insights into your driving and charging patterns.

Track efficiency over time

Monitor battery degradation

Log all trips and sessions

Compare to other drivers

Other Useful Apps

Chargeway

Color-coded charging compatibility—helps you understand which chargers work with your car.

Recurrent

Battery health tracking and used EV valuation reports.

JuiceNet / Wallbox

Home charger management apps for smart EVSE owners.

New EV Owner Setup Checklist

Download and configure your car's manufacturer app

Install PlugShare and A Better Route Planner (ABRP)

Create accounts for Electrify America, ChargePoint, and EVgo

Add payment methods to all charging apps

Set up Optiwatt or similar for cost tracking and smart charging

Download offline maps for your common routes

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