The Short Version
Install these three apps:
- PlugShare — real-time station status, crowd-sourced check-ins, the most reliable availability data
- A Better Route Planner (ABRP) — the best EV-specific route planner, bar none
- Your network’s app (Tesla, ChargePoint, Electrify America, EVgo) — required for payment and session control
Everything else is optional. The rest of this guide explains why, and what the alternatives are worth.
PlugShare
What it is: A crowdsourced map of every public charging station in North America, with real-time check-ins, photos, and availability reports from other EV drivers.
Why it matters: PlugShare solves the problem that official network maps don’t: real-world reliability. A station can show as “available” in the ChargePoint app while every stall is broken. PlugShare’s check-in system — where drivers report whether a session worked, the approximate wait time, and any equipment issues — catches this in near real-time.
For trip planning through lower-density corridors where a failed charge could leave you stranded, checking PlugShare before committing to a stop is a legitimate risk management step.
Key features:
- Filter by connector type (NACS, CCS, CHAdeMO, J1772 Level 2)
- Filter by minimum power output (useful to exclude slow Level 2 when you need DCFC)
- Filter by network (Tesla, Electrify America, ChargePoint, EVgo, non-networked)
- Check-in feed with driver comments, photos, and wait times
- Trip planner (basic — use ABRP for serious route planning)
- Camping and RV mode for campground charger locations
Free tier vs. paid: The free version covers everything most drivers need. PlugShare Premium ($2.99/month) adds routing optimization and removes ads — worth it if you travel frequently, optional if you’re a daily commuter.
Limitation: PlugShare is a reporting layer, not a payment layer. You cannot start a charging session through PlugShare. It tells you where to go and whether it’s working; the network app handles the transaction.
A Better Route Planner (ABRP)
What it is: An EV-specific route planner that optimizes charging stops based on your exact vehicle, state of charge, speed, elevation, temperature, and load.
Why it matters: Google Maps and Apple Maps route you to charging stations. ABRP routes you to the right charging stations, at the right time, with the right arrival state of charge. That distinction matters on a 400-mile day.
A standard mapping app treats EV charging like a gas station stop — a detour you choose. ABRP treats charging as part of the route, minimizing total trip time by selecting the stops that let you drive the most miles per hour of charging. It accounts for:
- Your vehicle’s actual efficiency at different speeds (not EPA estimates)
- Elevation gain and loss on the route
- Outside temperature effects on range and charge speed
- Towing payload (for trucks and SUVs)
- Arrival buffer — how much charge you want to arrive with at each stop
How to use it:
- Set up your vehicle profile (make, model, year, battery size)
- Enter your current state of charge and destination
- Review the suggested stops, arrival percentages, and time-at-charger
- Add to your calendar or export to navigation
Free tier: Covers most use cases. You can plan trips, set vehicle profiles, and get routed charging stops. Ads are present.
ABRP Premium: Adds live telemetry integration for supported vehicles (your car pushes real-time SoC and speed to ABRP for active re-routing), weather-adjusted range estimates, and saved trip planning. Pricing is in the range of $5/month or ~$50/year — check the ABRP app for current rates, as they update periodically. Worth it for regular road trippers who want the live re-routing feature. Casual users can skip it.
Rivian integration note: ABRP supports Rivian Adventure Network stations in its routing database. For Rivian owners, selecting the R1T or R1S profile and enabling RAN + Tesla Supercharger routing gives the best coverage options.
Your Network App
Every major charging network requires its own app (or a credit card tap, where supported) to initiate a session. You cannot avoid this.
| Network | App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Supercharger | Tesla | Required for non-Tesla NACS vehicles. Add a payment method before your first trip. A Supercharging Membership ($12.99/mo) eliminates the ~30–40% non-Tesla pricing premium, bringing your rate down to the same per-kWh as Tesla drivers. |
| Electrify America | Electrify America | Guest charging via credit card works but is slower to initiate. Pass+ membership ($7/mo) gives a flat 25% discount on all EA sessions. |
| ChargePoint | ChargePoint | Most ChargePoint stations support RFID card tap in addition to app. The ChargePoint card ($0) is worth requesting as a backup. |
| EVgo | EVgo | Two membership tiers: EVgo Plus ($6.99/mo, rates as low as $0.19/kWh) and EVgo PlusMax ($12.99/mo, rates as low as $0.15/kWh). Note: EVgo uses per-minute pricing in most states except California. |
| Rivian Adventure Network | Rivian | Built into the main Rivian app. Non-Rivian NACS vehicles can access RAN via the Rivian app. |
Practical setup: Before a road trip, open each network app you might encounter on your route and verify your payment method is current. A session initiation failure at 10% state of charge in a mountain town is not the time to troubleshoot an expired credit card.
Other Apps Worth Knowing
ChargePoint (as a standalone)
If ChargePoint is your primary network — common in urban areas where ChargePoint has heavy deployment at parking garages and office buildings — the ChargePoint app is functional and has good real-time status. Less useful on road trips where Supercharger and EA coverage dominates.
Electrify America
EA’s app has improved substantially in 2025–2026 after years of reliability complaints. The in-app pricing calculator is useful: you can see exactly what a session will cost with or without a Pass+ membership before committing. Still worth cross-referencing with PlugShare for station status before routing to a remote EA stop.
Waze EV / Google Maps
Google Maps added basic EV routing in 2023 and has improved it since, with range-aware routing for popular EV models. It’s not as precise as ABRP — it doesn’t integrate telemetry, and its efficiency estimates are more conservative — but it covers the common case adequately for shorter trips. Use it if you’re already in Maps and your trip is relatively simple.
OBD / Telemetry Apps (ScanMyTesla, Tessie, RivianSpy)
Vehicle-specific diagnostic and telemetry apps that give you real-time battery health, energy consumption, and charge history. Not charging locators or route planners — separate category. Useful for understanding your actual range and degradation over time, not for trip planning day-to-day.
What You Can Skip
PlugShare + ABRP + your network app covers 95% of what most EV owners need. A few things you don’t need to install:
Chargeway: Color-coded connector system that simplifies compatibility. Helpful for new EV owners, redundant once you know your connector type. PlugShare’s connector filter does the same job.
ChargeHub: Aggregator with a clean UI. Useful for a second opinion on station locations, but PlugShare’s check-in data is more current and actionable.
Zap-Map: UK-focused. Not relevant for US travel.
Multiple network apps for networks you don’t use: Install only the apps for networks you’ll actually encounter on your regular routes. Check the road trips planner and your state hub for network coverage in your region — in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West, Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America, and Rivian Adventure Network handle most long-distance needs.
For Different Types of Drivers
Daily commuter with home charging: Install PlugShare to find backup Level 2 stations when needed. Skip ABRP. Install your network’s app only if you use public charging regularly.
Frequent road tripper: All three core apps (PlugShare, ABRP, Tesla app minimum). Consider ABRP Premium for live telemetry if your vehicle supports it. Install EA and EVgo apps as backups.
Rivian owner traveling the West: Rivian app, ABRP with RAN and Supercharger enabled, PlugShare for campground and trailhead charging intel. PlugShare’s check-in data on remote stations in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming is particularly useful where reliability is lower.
New EV owner: Start with PlugShare and your vehicle’s built-in navigation. Add ABRP once you take your first real road trip and understand what your actual range looks like.
For corridor-specific charging recommendations across Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and the Mountain West, see the road trips planner and individual state hubs.