- Apple announced that EV routing that takes charging needs into account is coming to its Maps app.
- The new feature will be available on the upcoming iOS 14.
- Apple says the new feature will be available this fall.
If you drive an electric vehicle, making sure you have enough charge to complete a road trip usually involves reliance on the automaker's built-in navigation. Unfortunately, some OEM navigation systems can be lacking compared to offerings from Apple and Google. Fans of Apple Maps learned today that they will soon be able to use the navigation system they prefer when driving an EV, to which we say: Your move, Google.
At its annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday, Apple announced an upcoming update to the Maps app coming with iOS 14 this fall. With the new operating system, the maps will include EV routing based not only on the vehicle you're in but also the environment in which you're driving. Apple is currently working with Ford and BMW on electric-vehicle integration and said that it’ll be adding many more automakers in the future.
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On Ford's end, the system will work with the upcoming Mach-E. Ford also will have its own system baked into Sync 4A called Ford Intelligent Range that uses past driving behavior, weather forecasts, and crowdsourced data from other Mustang Mach-E vehicles on the road to better predict how far the vehicle can travel on its current state of charge.
For those using Apple CarPlay in iOS 14, the phone-based infotainment system will include features for finding parking and charging the EV, and it will also have a new feature that gives the iPhone the ability to act as a key to unlock and start vehicles that support it. Currently, it only works with the 2020 BMW 5-series but Apple says more vehicles will be added soon. Apple also says it will be adding information about congestion and green zones for drivers so they know when and how much it will cost to enter these areas.
iOS 14 will be available for the general public this fall. But a public beta version of the operating system will be available next month for those willing to accept the potential for bugginess in the earliest versions.
Roberto Baldwin spends a majority of his time talking people into buying either EVs or sport wagons with manual transmissions. After over a decade of covering technology in Silicon Valley, he's finally escaped to the glorious world of Car and Driver, where he'll be covering car tech in Silicon Valley.
