The EV charging app market has been progressively growing and will continue to do so in the future. As the popularity of electric vehicle station apps continues to rise, there is also a growing need for charging stations across multiple locations. The majority of these stations are connected to charging networks which allow users access through an application on their mobile device.
By developing a proper mobile application, EV drivers can easily find stations and start and stop charging, while all payments are automated. No wallet needed, just the app. Most charging devices also work with an RFID card.
To start developing an app, you need to know what features it should have, and you may also want to research the cost of building an app like this on various platforms.
The Need For EV Charging Stations App
Electric vehicle charging stations have been popping up across the globe – every day, there are new charging stations being installed. This is a significant development, but it can be frustrating for a driver trying to figure out where these charging stations are located.
And if you are a charge point operator, and you are responsible for managing entire EV networks and EV charging operations, investing in an electric vehicle charging mobile app will be the best investment you’ll ever make.
According to research from a data analytics and consumer intelligence company JD Power, 41% of EV owners use their brand’s EV mobile app on most of their trips for hassle-free services.
If you develop the mobile app, you get the actual insights into your charging stations, daily profit, power consumption, EV driver’s details, transactions, and feedback.
How Does An EV Charging App Work?
If you have a car, you need to register in the electric vehicle charging finder application with your phone number, email address, and password. On the other hand, you can also quickly register with your social media account.
After registration, you will need to enter your location or activate geolocation to find your location app. Browse the area and find important information about these stations, such as compatible electric cars, photos, details, costs, and availability. You can save time by making an appointment. Or you can charge your vehicle at the charging station.
With prior reservation through the EV charging app, you can track the load and progress of your program. You can also view the payment amount at the charging station or online.
Key Features Of An EV Charging App
As the demand for electric vehicle station app rises, so does the need for EV charging stations. Driving an electric car can be a great experience, but you have to know where to go to charge up.
This requires a charging station application to tell you how far you can go and where to charge up when your battery is running low. Here’s a list of the key features that we think must be included in an EV charging app.
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- Register – To use an app, every new user has to register with their email address, contact number, and password or an option to sign in with any of their social accounts.
- User Profile – Users can quickly edit and change their profiles. It has an image, car number, model, and name.
- Nearby Charging Station Details – When users enter their location, the app searches for nearby charging stations and displays them. It saves users time and effort by eliminating the need to search for this service.
- Geographical Position – This feature must be able to access the smartphone locations of the users in real-time to display the nearest charging stations. If users want to search for charging stations in a specific area manually, users can enter the address and see what options are available.
- Filter- Users can search based on their inputs with advanced filter options. When looking for an electric car charging station, they use different filters to find an excellent service to save your time.
- Station Details – The location app for electric charging stations must provide relevant information on each station and its service facilities.
- Booking Slots – With the EV charging station app, users can book a period to pre-charge their vehicles.
- Rating and Review – The car owner can rate their experience and write a review about the charging station. Ratings and reviews help other users determine the quality of service and other aspects of the broadcaster.
- Payment Options – Have different payment methods in the electric car charging station so that users can pay in the way of their choice. For example, you can allow them to pay with cash/credit card, PayPal, UPI, mobile e-wallet apps, and more.
- Billing History – Car owners need to know how much money they are spending daily, weekly, and monthly. So, the app must track the number of reservations, the amount of energy loaded, and the amount paid by the user.
- Push Notification – The EV charging app can send users notifications or warnings about nearby charging stations and reminders of upcoming bookings, new entry offers, and more.
- Realtime Chat Support – Chatbots equipped with artificial intelligence can provide timely support and answer users’ questions. They can also leave unanswered questions for the responsible team.
- Electric Vehicle Travel Planner – When users plan a long trip, they have to pick up their vehicles in different locations. You can add a trip planner feature to make everything more user-friendly. This feature allows users to view the start and endpoints of their tour.
- In-app Navigation – This function enables users to find charging stations for electric cars in real-time on the map. It also takes you to charge points.
- Bonus Points – Users who regularly use the EV app receive bonus points in promotional vouchers, coupons, free monthly memberships, and other benefits. You can use these incentives to increase user retention and attract more users to your program.
Why Invest In An EV Charging App?
Electric vehicle charging stations have been around for a while, but they’ve never been a trendy choice of car owners. That’s because they were difficult to use and had limited availability. As more people get into EVs, demand will continue to rise for electric charging stations.
The global market for charging stations for electric vehicles is expected to grow between 2020 and 2027 at a combined annual growth rate of 46.6%, from 2,115,000 units in 2020 to 30,758,000 units in 2027.
There have been approximately 96,536 public charging points in the USA since December 2020. In New Zealand, there are currently 327 charging points across the country. Due to this, there is an increased demand for charging stations. So, companies are struggling to keep up with a growing number of EV vehicles.
And, the number of EVs on the road is expected to increase by over 90% over the next five years, which means there will be many people who need to recharge their cars. The primary trend for investing in the EV charging station app is the need for carbon-free transportation and government initiatives to promote green vehicles through subsidies, tax cuts, and other instruments.
Furthermore, these statistics show that the market for electric vehicles is rapidly expanding. As a result, an EV charging station app can help you start a profitable business in the future.
How Much Will It Cost To Develop An EV Charging App?
To develop an EV charging app, you must first analyze the needs, features, and functions your app will require. This will help you determine the estimated cost of your plan. Several important factors affect the overall cost of app development.
For example, the work that we’ve done for Invisible Urban involves a lot of mobile app design that aligns with their brand so that they can easily make quick changes in the future. They also required a relatively responsive design for the admin portal which is why we thoughtfully integrated their workflows into the portal and we made sure that the admin portal was functional and easy to maintain.
The scope of the application development company you choose, the functionality you want to incorporate, the platform you choose (Android, iOS, or both), and the complexity of the application are important considerations.
Regardless of the factors mentioned, the average cost of developing an EV charging app in the US would be anywhere from $10,000 to $400,000. Thus, it is more cost-effective to outsource to an overseas app development company like us with a proven track record.
Talk to Us
There are many ways to develop an app for your EV charging station network, but it’s essential to have the right features and functionalities to receive a good ROI. The best-in-class features of most EV charging apps were discussed in this post. If you want to learn more or would like to develop an app for your EV charging station network, talk to us. We are happy to help.