Google Maps Just Made EV Road Trips Far Less Stressful

Google is now showing real-time Tesla Supercharger availability. More EV-friendly features are coming.

Google Maps Tesla Update

Photo by: Tesla

Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Nov 12, 2025 at 11:28am ET

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A new Google Maps update will help you avoid crowded Tesla Supercharger stations.
Tesla said more such electric vehicle-friendly updates are coming to navigation providers.
The new update will help you save time and make road trips smoother.

Google Maps has introduced a new feature that will make using the service more friendly for electric vehicle drivers.

You can now see real-time availability of Tesla Superchargers on Google Maps, Tesla said on Tuesday in a post on X. Google is displaying the live information under the “Overview” section of the app with green highlights.

It might seem like a small addition, but it can make a meaningful difference to your road trips. The update means EV drivers no longer have to switch between apps or wait for Tesla’s own app to load just to check charger status.

The new update can help your EV roadtrip become more seamless and avoid crowded stations where lines can often be long, especially if you’re in a city like New York or Los Angeles.

“The next step for navigation providers is to go beyond live availability and also show real-time wait time, forecasted availability, and dynamically re-route customers based on forecast,” Max De Zegher, Tesla’s director of charging, said in a post on X.

He went on to compare Tesla’s own trip planner to an air traffic controller. Knowing where the planes are and assigning them to runways and airports can help with congestion. EV chargers would benefit from similar planning, he said.

Tesla Supercharger New York Long Lines

A long waiting line at a Tesla Supercharger in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday, November 11.

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

I’ve stopped counting the number of times I’ve waited in long lines at Tesla Superchargers in Brooklyn, where thousands of rideshare drivers, as well as a growing number of private EV owners, have to deal with a disproportionately small public fast-charging network.

The Tesla app also shows accurate real-time Supercharger availability. But believe it or not, it can sometimes fail. And it often takes a long time to load, especially on Android devices. Third-party apps like PlugShare also show charger availability, but that's less accurate and depends on crowd-sourced information.

Unlike the Tesla app, Google Maps opens instantly and is flawless on open roads, although I’ll admit the blue arrow dances around when GPS accuracy falters due to skyscrapers or inclement weather.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT at Tesla Supercharger

Photo by: Suvrat Kothari

However, the EV features still have room for improvement. You still can’t see pricing for EV chargers. And connector information for a particular site, like CCS or NACS availability, can sometimes be inaccurate.

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Even so, it’s a good step forward and a sign that both Google and Tesla are thinking more seriously about how to make EV charging smoother and less of a guessing game.

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