Parkopedia has expanded its partnership with BMW Group to provide EV drivers with additional EV Point of Interest (POI) data, enabling them to make more informed decisions about when and where to charge their vehicles, the company said. This new functionality provides EV drivers with photos and ratings for charging locations, alongside Parkopedia-provided information such as the precise location of the charger, the charging speed, connector type and data including charging availability and whether units are operational or out-of-order.
Parkopedia now provides coverage for Spain, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg, adding to the previous coverage in Germany, France, Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. The company said its service will shortly be expanded to new markets, addressing global driver demand for an improved EV charging process.
According to Parkopedia, this additional information helps alleviate potential stress from the charging process for EV drivers, by assisting them in selecting locations that best suit their needs – whether drivers want to prioritize well-lit sites where they feel safer, locations with desired local amenities so they can make the best use of charging times or those with the highest user reviews, ensuring a more reliable charging experience.
More than 90% of EV drivers feel anxious about charging with 60% considering charging information accuracy as “very important” or “extremely important”, according to the 2023 Parkopedia Global Driver Survey. Furthermore, 77% of drivers would prefer to drive a vehicle that provides information about public EV charging and enables them to navigate directly to specific charging locations. Consequently, Parkopedia said it understands that EV drivers want the most accurate and complete information on public charging locations to simplify daily use or the transition to EVs.
“We recognize the charging anxiety facing EV drivers today when searching for suitable charging locations and we are pleased to offer new functionality to simplify the charging process. Today, more than 90% of EV drivers feel anxious about charging, with 44% having run out of charge,” Hans Puvogel, Parkopedia COO, said. “Consequently, nearly half of drivers who state they wouldn’t own an EV cite being worried about finding charging away from home as the main reason. This new service with BMW Group demonstrates Parkopedia’s commitment to improving the charging experience for EV drivers and we will shortly combine this with verified driver reviews for charging locations to deliver the highest quality and most up-to-date information possible when deciding where to charge.”
