Today electric bikes, cars, and scooters are a common sight on the roads, and with an increased number of electric vehicles running, the need for EV charging stations has also risen. And this takes our attention to the fact that EV charging stations will have a high chance of conquering the market in the future.
The users for EV charging stations are certainly already owing the electric vehicles. By 2030, the number of electric cars on the road will reach 125 million.
As we live amid the global warming crisis, the government and some user groups understand how the increased usage of electric vehicles can resolve this issue of global warming. It also reduces the cost of transportation. Resultantly, more and more people today are going for electric cars. The government of all the countries is constantly pushing the carmakers to make more reliable and reasonably-priced EVs.
In the recent past, the electric vehicles market has dramatically evolved with the arrival of e-bike rental companies. All major cities are flooded with e-bikes running on rechargeable batteries. As per NACTO report, there are around 85000 e-bikes available in 100 major cities of the USA to be rented out. The report also states that the adoption rate of e-bikes in the major cities is way more than 70 percent, and this shows that people are embracing the concept of electric vehicles and use them quite often. Another reason for building an EV charging station is that creating such a station costs little, whereas the investment return is relatively high. As per the case study published by the US Department of Energy, the average rate of building the EV charging station of standard 240 voltage outlets ranges between $435 and $979.
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What is the Electric Vehicle Charging Station Finder app, and how does it works?
The EV Charging station finder app allows users to find and review charging stations and connect with other plug-in vehicle owners. EV charging station locator app provides the most accurate and complete public charging map worldwide, with stations from every major network. The EV locator app enables the user to find a nearby station, book a charging spot, navigate the station, and plan a trip.
An Electric Vehicle charging station runs on station management software that allows the supply of electric energy to recharge the battery of electric vehicles, including a bus, e-scooter, e-bike, and electric car. These EV charging stations can be conventional, work on DC standard power supply or a charging station that generates the energy from solar panels. Before embracing DC standards, the USA worked on Level 1 (120 volt AC) and Level 2 (240 volt AC) standards. But these two standards failed to offer fast charging facility as DC standard, which supports 500 volts. The latter has the power to fully charge an electric vehicle 50 percent faster than Level 1 & Level 2.
Crewless charging stations can operate efficiently using an app. The user can book a spot to demand the booking by scanning the QR code printed on the charging stations and paying from the app. Mobile apps show data coming to it from charging the station management software.
The valuable attribute here is the connectivity within an app, EV charging management system, and EV charging station. OCCP can be helpful when looking to run an uncrewed EV charging station, which connects the mobile app, EV charging station management software, and EV charging station, and it allows to share all information within three components.
Next, let’s explore the benefits of an Electric Vehicle Charging station.
Benefits of EV charging station locator mobile app
When owing the Electric Vehicle charging station, it can be a brilliant move to have an online business, say a mobile app can be the investment you need to make. An app increases your business visibility, which can be enormous in generating more revenue streams. Having an app can increase user satisfaction with the app as then no more waiting in lines at the charging station as with the app, users would be able to book their spots ahead of their requirements. Hence, they would charge their electric vehicles smoothly at the station. Besides, the app allows the owner to track the real-time station of the charging station business, including, power consumption of each EV charging station, daily profit, customers’ details, successful and failed payment transactions, and have overall knowledge of customer issues and feedback.
Why invest in the Electric Vehicle Charging Locator App?
As per the recent reports from the Global EV outlook, by 2030, the number of electric vehicles on the road will reach 125 million. It clearly states that the future holds vast opportunities for the EV charging station businesses. In August 2020, the Centre for American Progress released this report saying that 330,000 new EV charging stations would be needed in the USA as there is a huge demand.
So, let’s discuss the various aspects of creating an EV charging system, the business models that you would be required to pick, and yes, the most crucial element, how much it will cost. So, let’s get started.
Monetization Opportunities offered by EV charging station finder app
There are many ways to earn as it comes to the EV charging station, and the first way is to make money by asking your users to pay for the number of minutes they are keeping the electricity outlet plugged in. However, defining a premium cost structure is necessary if the charging station offers a fast-charging facility.
Featured Listing – Another way of earning money is Featured Listing. The station owner can book a higher-visibility spot on the app after paying a certain amount for a featured listing.
Sell Advertisements – Selling Advertisements can be yet another way. Like you showcase some of the advertisements featuring other businesses’ products or services on your app, and in return, you ask for the payment. It is a great way to make money when the app is successful as then the user audience is vast, and most brands would like to show their ads on your app. The app will show the ads via popups, video, sidebars, etc. Several EV charging station finder apps do not charge a penny from the app users to use their service, and instead, they put these advertising displays and earn revenue from advertising fees.
eCommerce Integration: Again, a brilliant way to make money. The app can integrate eCommerce functionality and sell EV-related products or accessories to create a revenue stream.
Top EV Charging Station Finder mobile app
Today smartphones are an essential part of everyone’s life, and in the scenario of EV charging station finder apps, they allow users to quickly locate the charging station when required and book a time slot. Speaking of the EV charging station apps, the best apps are:
PlugShare: Among the most popular EV charging station finder apps, PlugShare allows you to find charging stations all around the globe. The app locates the charging stations, share reviews, and connect with other electric vehicle owners. This app with very high accuracy and has an extensive network in Europe, North America, and other parts of the globe. It also has more than 400,000 charging stations. The app allows the users to search for the station based on area, network, and type of connection used. Also, the app tells which EV charging station is free and which one charges for money. Here the payments are made via the app.
ChargePoint: This app business has an extensive electric vehicle charging station network and relies on the NFC. Tap on your phone against the charging station to start the charging. You need not open the app to begin the process. There are more than 100,000 EV charging stations featured in the app. Also, the app allows you to check the charging status, how much power the app has received, an estimation of the miles gained, and the cost to charge (in case it is not free).
EVgo: This app business enjoys the largest charging network in the USA. However, the customer reviews on the app suggest that EVgo probably costs more than its competitors, and thus, it has lower ratings. The app also seamlessly integrates the EVgo Rewards™ loyalty program so drivers can save money the more they charge with EVgo.
Chargemap: Being used by more than 330,000 electric car drivers, the Chargemap app allows the drivers to find and locate a charging point pretty quickly. Based in France, the app emphasizes the number of nations and networks it supports. Chargemap has a refined interface with several filter options. But the user can not use the app without creating an account.
Few of the significant Electric Vehicle Charging network providers
Tata Power: A prominent name in India, Tata enterprise is involved in Aviation, Cars, electric cars, and communication, and presently, it’s offering charging services for electric vehicles, office charging, pubic charging, and commercial spaces. It has its presence in nine states and major cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. Its the first EV charging station in Mumbai and MoUs for the commercial charging outlets at IGL, IOCL, and HPCL outlets. Tata Power has its app, and this way, the electric vehicle owner, can successfully locate the charging stations on the map, receive charging updates when desired, and even pay online.
Fortum: This Charge & Drive platform has specialization in offering charging services for electric vehicles. This global energy company has 3000 intelligent chargers in the Nordic nations, and it uses advanced technology & charges like a 50kW DC rapid charger 15 or 20 kW DC 001 charger. Fortum aims to make things easier in the arena of EVs, like its usage, operations, and growing the charging networks, and make the environment clean and thriving.
AtherEnergy: This very successful company for the EVs, mainly scooters, has launched Ather Dot and is connected, dedicated with an easily-installed home charger to charge the EV in the user’s parking space.
What are the key features of the EV charging network provider?
Filter EV Charging Station Search: The app user must filter their requirements using the EV charging station finder app. A few of the commonly used filter options are:
- Station Category can include Public, Low Power, High Power, etc.
- Availability based on Open, Closed, Under Maintenance, Restricted.
- Station Amenities, like what are the features of a charging outlet
- Charging Plugs (This is basically about the plug types available at the charging stations.)
- Filter by Charging Networks of a particular firm
- Reviews & Ratings
- Filter by Plugin or Battery Swapping
Book Charging at a Station: This feature allows the app users to book the charging at the station in advance, waiting in the long queues.
Trip Planner Panel: In this functionality, when a user goes on a long trip, then s/he gets the notification to charge in the nearest charging station & battery vehicle.
Make Payment: The users usually like this functionality when the app allows them to make online payments instead of cash.
Add your Station: The app allows users to add the station they frequently visit, making the advance booking quick and easy.
Share your Residential Charger: This feature lets users share their residential charger with the neighbors who also use the electric vehicle and use the same app to charge their EV.
Advanced Features to Beat the Competition:
In-App Navigation: Use in-app Navigation via GPS and use maps API like Google Maps to enable users to find the charging stations near to them in real-time on the map. The users also get directions to the charging spot via the app.
Multiple Payment: The users appreciate when the EV charging station app allows them to make easy payments by offering multiple payment modes. It saves their time as well as energy.
GPS Tracking: This functionality makes it easier for the app users to quickly locate the EV charging station they have booked to charge their vehicle.
Chatbot Integration: This feature can be quite favorable for the app owners as then they won’t have to use a human resource every time the user on the app pops a question. Most of the user queries can be handled easily by the chatbot.
CRM Integration: Customers are an essential part of any business, and it is vital to make them feel valued. And this is where integrating Customer Relationship Management can be helpful.
Loyalty Programs: User like it when their loyalty gets rewarded, and this is why it can be helpful when the app runs the loyalty programs where they receive gifts, coupons, points, rewards to feel special.
Required Tech Stack to develop EV station finding app
• Mobile App – Android
• Backend: Laravel
• Server: NGINX
• Find User Location: Google Maps, Google Places API, Core Location Framework
• Real-time Analytics: Apache Flink, BigData, Spark, Hadoop
• Cloud Environment: VULTR, AWS, Az Google
• Database: MySQL, Redis, Postgres, Cassandra, HBase, MongoDB
• Payments: eWallets, Stripe, PayPal, Braintree
• Voice, MS, & Phone Verification: Twilio, Nexmo
• Push Notifications: Firebase Cloud Messaging, Urban Airship, Amazon SNS, Push.io, Twilio
How much does it cost to develop EV Station Finder App?
To determine the cost of EV Station Finder app development, it is essential to analyze the requirements, features, and functionalities. Also, the cost of creating an app majorly depends on the app development region chosen by you. For instance, the hourly rate of app development in North America is $150/hour, while in South America, it is $130/hour. However, hiring an app development company from south Asia, the average cost/hour is $35.
