We live in a world where apps have become an essential part of everyday life, with app ratings offering valuable insights into the best, the worst and everything in between. These user-generated golden nuggets reflect real-world performance – from usability to reliability to customer care – rather than corporate hype, allowing for a more informed consumer base. That’s why we’re proud of our EV charging app’s 4.6 rating, which makes it one of the highest on the market. And while other apps may seem similar on the surface, many have drawbacks not found with Epic. Here’s a sampling.
Top EV Charging Apps in the Market
PlugShare (4.7 ★ rating)
Arguably one of the best EV charging apps for discovering and reviewing public chargers, but there’s no live-session control, and it may not always have the most current information on station availability or charging status.
Electrify America (4.6 ★ rating)
Essential for EA station users, and partnerships with auto manufacturers like Ford and VW mean those drivers get a limited amount of free charging; however, reviews note a lack of reliability and strained user experience (e.g., the remaining charging time isn’t visible).
ChargePoint (4.5 ★ rating)
While it’s the largest EV charging network in the US, making it a popular choice for those with range anxiety, most stations still have Level 2 chargers and the app is routinely criticized for login bugs, sync issues, slow load times and poor customer support.
EVgo (4.5 ★ rating)
Stations are almost exclusively fast-charging, and the app offers member rewards and paid monthly plans that allegedly reduce costs, but reviewers are quick to point out a clunky and confusing UX, disruptive marketing notifications and broken chargers listed as working.
Tesla (3.7 ★ rating)
While they opened their ecosystem to non-Tesla owners, access still depends on that vehicle’s charging port; moreover, the app’s low rating reflects concerns like a tendency to freeze, a lack of real-time notifications and a poorly designed interface, particularly for carpooling. It may also be adversely affected by a highly vocal CEO with political leanings that have alienated many customers.
Lucid (3.9 ★ rating)
Robust search results and navigation options are bolstered by a partnership with EA, but the app is constantly dinged for significant lag times, an inability to wake the vehicle remotely and an Android version that’s noticeably inferior to its iOS counterpart.
Rivian (4.3 ★ rating)
The app not only displays its “Adventure Network” series of DCFC’s, but third-party stations as well, and features easily programmable navigation to all; unfortunately, users have mentioned app-caused battery drain, an ad-cluttered interface and random bugs like alarm loops.
Top EV Charging Apps in the Market
PlugShare (4.7 ★ rating)
Arguably one of the best EV charging apps for discovering and reviewing public chargers, but there’s no live-session control, and it may not always have the most current information on station availability or charging status.
Electrify America (4.6 ★ rating)
Essential for EA station users, and partnerships with auto manufacturers like Ford and VW mean those drivers get a limited amount of free charging; however, reviews note a lack of reliability and strained user experience (e.g., the remaining charging time isn’t visible).
ChargePoint (4.5 ★ rating)
While it’s the largest EV charging network in the US, making it a popular choice for those with range anxiety, most stations still have Level 2 chargers and the app is routinely criticized for login bugs, sync issues, slow load times and poor customer support.
EVgo (4.5 ★ rating)
Stations are almost exclusively fast-charging, and the app offers member rewards and paid monthly plans that allegedly reduce costs, but reviewers are quick to point out a clunky and confusing UX, disruptive marketing notifications and broken chargers listed as working.
Tesla (3.7 ★ rating)
While they opened their ecosystem to non-Tesla owners, access still depends on that vehicle’s charging port; moreover, the app’s low rating reflects concerns like a tendency to freeze, a lack of real-time notifications and a poorly designed interface, particularly for carpooling. It may also be adversely affected by a highly vocal CEO with political leanings that have alienated many customers.
Lucid (3.9 ★ rating)
Robust search results and navigation options are bolstered by a partnership with EA, but the app is constantly dinged for significant lag times, an inability to wake the vehicle remotely and an Android version that’s noticeably inferior to its iOS counterpart.
Rivian (4.3 ★ rating)
The app not only displays its “Adventure Network” series of DCFC’s, but third-party stations as well, and features easily programmable navigation to all; unfortunately, users have mentioned app-caused battery drain, an ad-cluttered interface and random bugs like alarm loops.
What to Look for in an EV Charging App
A charging station app should be laser-focused on making your life easier, simpler and more efficient while adding to your enjoyment of the EV driving experience rather than detracting from it. When selecting your go-to app, here are eight specific areas you should consider:
* User Experience (UI/UX) – The interface should be uncomplicated, effortless to navigate and fast to respond.
* Features – At the very least, EV drivers should be able to search and filter charging locations, plan routes and navigate to desired stations, reserve chargers, initiate charging sessions, add drivers, manage payment methods and billing, leave reviews and report charger issues.
* Reliability – Functionality issues should be sparse, especially during the charger discovery and session start phases.
* Live Charger Status and Availability – A seamless EV charging experience means trusting info about which chargers are open for use and, equally importantly, are in working order.
* Notifications and Session History – Usable intel includes alerts on when a charger has become available, when the vehicle is charged, when a session is interrupted or when a driver is about to incur idle fees. In addition, user history allows for an in-depth assessment of dates, times and miles added, kWh used and total charging costs over a given period.
* Payment Flexibility – Users should have a choice on how they pay, whether credit card, mobile wallet, corporate billing or RFID.
* 24/7 Support – In-app ticketing, around-the-clock access and a super-fast response time are all critical to ensuring customer satisfaction.
* App Rating – This crowd-sourced insight into real-world usability is not only reflective of the above and more, but also provides EV software companies instant feedback on what customers want and ways to improve.
How Epic Charging’s App Excels
Our powerful, user-friendly, open protocol platform is built for flexibility across myriad use cases and is best-in-class in all of the aforementioned areas as indicated by our 4.6-star app store rating. Our integrated support ticketing through HubSpot and Zendesk is unique among EV charging apps, and our customizable white-label options can be adapted to fit just about any business. Furthermore, our RFID and QR scan-to-charge capabilities eliminate the need for burdensome credit cards. These are just part of the reasons why we have routinely been entrusted to migrate large existing EV networks such as Shell, Enel X and EVBox away from failed or outdated systems.
We also offer superiority in destination charging, with substantial strength in apartments and condos, workplaces, campuses and municipal sites. As a workplace charging app, company employees have instant access to a dynamic, eco-conscious tool, while as an apartment charging app, drivers can sleep easy knowing their vehicles will be powered up for the next day’s adventure.
In short, an EV charging app is the primary link between driver and experience, and a dependable, intuitive, well-supported platform can make or break that link, so choosing the right one shows how much you understand the EV driver’s journey, whether on the road or online.
Looking for a better app to support the EV charging network at your property or organization? Book a demo today with Epic Charging.