Head to head
Google Maps or PlugShare: where they actually differ
Two products with different jobs. Google Maps is a general-purpose maps app that has grown EV routing; PlugShare is a charging map — its job is telling you what is there and whether it worked for the last driver.
Where they differ
| Capability | Google Maps | PlugShare |
|---|---|---|
| Plans a charging route | ● Yes | ◐ Partly |
| Models the charging curve | ◐ Partly | ○ No |
| Adjusts for weather and temperature | ● Yes | ○ No |
| Accounts for elevation | ● Yes | ○ No |
| Reads the car | ◐ Partly | – Unverified |
| Preconditions the battery | – Unverified | ○ No |
| Turn-by-turn navigation | ● Yes | ○ No |
| CarPlay or Android Auto | ◐ Partly | – Unverified |
| Pays for the charge | ○ No | – Unverified |
| Compares session prices | – Unverified | ○ No |
| Driver check-ins and reviews | ◐ Partly | ● Yes |
Where they agree
On the remaining 3 capabilities these two are recorded the same way. Rows where both are unverified are agreement about our own ignorance rather than about the products.
Which to choose
Choose Google Maps if you need a planned charging route rather than a map of chargers, cold-weather range modelling, routing that knows the road climbs and turn-by-turn navigation rather than a hand-off. Choose PlugShare if you need driver check-ins from the last people there. Price and platform decide the rest, and both are in the table on each product’s own page.
Or both
Most people end up with two of these — a router and either a payment card or the car’s own navigation for the last leg, which is the only thing that reliably preconditions the battery. Using one tool for everything is a preference, not a requirement.