Head to head
PlugShare or Tesla: where they actually differ
Two products with different jobs. PlugShare is a charging map — its job is telling you what is there and whether it worked for the last driver; Tesla in-car navigation is the vehicle's own navigation, which is why it can do things no app can.
Where they differ
| Capability | PlugShare | Tesla |
|---|---|---|
| Plans a charging route | ◐ Partly | ● Yes |
| Models the charging curve | ○ No | ● Yes |
| Adjusts for weather and temperature | ○ No | – Unverified |
| Accounts for elevation | ○ No | – Unverified |
| Live charger availability | ◐ Partly | ● Yes |
| Reads the car | – Unverified | ● Yes |
| Preconditions the battery | ○ No | ● Yes |
| Turn-by-turn navigation | ○ No | ● Yes |
| CarPlay or Android Auto | – Unverified | ○ No |
| Pays for the charge | – Unverified | ◐ Partly |
| Driver check-ins and reviews | ● Yes | ○ No |
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 PlugShare if you need driver check-ins from the last people there. Choose Tesla in-car navigation if you need a planned charging route rather than a map of chargers, charging-time estimates that hold up, live charger status, a live connection to the car, battery preconditioning before a rapid charge and turn-by-turn navigation rather than a hand-off. 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.