Owning an Electric Vehicle (EV) is the next big thing in the auto industry. It may seem cool and all but once you have to drive through rural areas, that’s where range anxiety kicks in.
Our EV charging station infrastructure is arguably still in its infancy stage with a lack of proper development. However, this seems to be changing. More charging stations are being built as part of the government’s initiative to encourage EV ownership in Malaysia.
Luckily for EV owners, there are several apps available in Malaysia that can help make your balik kampung journey smooth and stress-free. Here are all the EV charging station apps available to help you find EV chargers on your journey home.
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Plugshare
Built around a community-based app, Plugshare allows user-generated input to build up a database of EV charging stations around the world. With its expansion to Malaysia, EV owners can now plan their trips around the country, especially for balik kampung trips to rural areas. Plugshare allows users to locate nearby charging stations, and charging availability. It also allows users to check in/out and leave a review on the charging station.
Being a community-driven EV charging station app, you may come across power sockets located in someone’s home if they’re inclined to share them. But nevertheless, the ability to update the app with the precise location of the charging station is a huge bonus. For example, someone has left precise instructions on where to locate the EV charging station at our headquarters office for convenience.
As of to date, there is no payment feature available on the app yet. Users will have to pay directly at the charging stations with their cards or via ChargeEV; another app.
A Better Route Planner (ABRP)
A Better Route Planner (ABRP) is a free trip-planning, EV charging station app that works just like Google Maps available on IOS and Android. The amount of user-friendly customization allows personalized input based on your vehicle’s make and model even down to your battery charge.
This writer is too broke to afford a Tesla Model 3 so let’s just pretend I drive one here…
How it works is if you leave your home with an 86% charge on a Tesla Model S, the app would estimate you will arrive at your destination with a 67% battery capacity. This will be beneficial to plan for your trip.
The charger locating feature can be unresponsive at times. I find using the desktop version of the app is much better.
ABRP also provides real-time information about rates and charger availability to let you plan your trip efficiently. If you have other EVs in the family, a premium subscription plan is available to register multiple EVs and save your trips for convenience.
Read More: The Cost of Owning & Driving an EV in Malaysia
JomCharge
JomCharge is a home-developed EV charging app that lets you locate and pay to recharge your vehicle. Similarly to ABRP, JomCharge has all your make and models of EVs. With its in-app map, it’s easy to locate a charging station and the app will take you there via Google Maps or Waze. It also has a QR scan function synced up to your card of choice and lets you know which station down to the socket is occupied for your convenience.
JomCharge also offers a loyalty program that rewards users with points for every charging session, which can be redeemed for discounts or free charging sessions in the future. The app is available for free on both iOS and Android devices.
Read More: Will Electric Self-Driving Cars Be Feasible in Malaysia?
ChargeEV
ChargeEV is another popular EV charging station app in Malaysia that offers a wide network of charging stations across the country. It allows users to search for charging stations, check availability, and pay for charging sessions directly through the app just like JomCharge.
ChargeEV also offers a subscription-based membership program that provides additional benefits such as discounted charging rates and priority access to charging stations. The app is available for free on both iOS and Android devices.
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ParkEasy
ParkEasy is an oddball on this list because it’s a parking app that also lets you reserve EV charging stations. It allows users to reserve parking spots with charging facilities in advance, ensuring that a charging station will be available upon arrival. ParkEasy also provides real-time information on charging station availability and pricing, making it easy for EV owners to plan their trips during Hari Raya. The app is available for free on both iOS and Android devices, with options to pay for parking and charging sessions directly through the app.
Now you can hog parking slots “legally”!
However, the caveat of this app is it’s only useful around cities and metropolitan areas. Do use this with caution if you’re taking a road trip to rural areas.
Honorable Mention
Setel
Setel used to offer their app as a cashless method to pay for your fuel but recently they added a feature that locates EV Charging stations due to high demand. Just like any other EV Charging app, it tells you of the station and charger’s occupancy. It also uses a built-in map feature that guides you to the nearest station via Google Maps (no Waze integration, sadly).
What makes Setel stand out from other apps is you can still pay for the charge in advance while it is occupied. You can do this for any EV charging station as long as it’s part of the Gentari EV network in Malaysia.
Everyone is excited to see their families safe and sound, with comfort in their hearts knowing that their children arrive safely back home. Please remember to obey traffic rules, and keep in mind that road accidents tend to surge during festive seasons.
Conversely, if you’re not ready for the EV lifestyle, there’s always a wide variety of petrol cars from CARSOME! In case of any emergency, it’s always to have a reliable petrol car on standby.
All CARSOME cars are professionally inspected via a 175-point inspection process to ensure its free from flood, fire, and accidents. Our cars are also refurbished all the way to with a one-year warranty and five-day money-back guarantee giving you peace of mind with every purchase.
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