Where are electric car charging stations near me?
The charging infrastructure for electric cars in South Africa grows on a daily basis. New charging points are constantly popping up and making it easier than ever to own an EV. The fears of range anxiety will soon be a thing of the past as EV ranges increase and the public network grows and develops.
Range anxiety is a real thing and adjusting your mindset when you opt for an electric vehicle over one powered by fossil fuels takes some time. Those that have developed healthy EV ownership habits will struggle less and will know where their nearest charging station is but on the off chance that you're new to EV ownership or venturing out to an unknown area, you will need to find your nearest charging station, just in case.
Related: Are electric car charging stations free?
You're probably on this page because you're needing rather rapid assistance, so let's cut to the chase and help you find your nearest charging station. Note that you will need to accept the prompts that request your location in order for these to work.
GridCars Live Map
GridCars is the entity that is responsible for most of the country's charging infrastructure. They manage over 350 public charging points and numerous charging facilities at dealerships and shopping centres as well. Their interactive map will show you the location of your nearest charging station, the charging output and type, connector type, associated costs and will let you know if the charge point is available, in use, or offline. Their effective call centre is also on standby to assist with any questions or queries.
Google Maps
Another GridCars initiative is the listing of their charging stations on Google Maps. Heading over to your Google Maps app and searching for 'EV Charger' will bring up a variety of charging stations in your area and near your location. This will give you high-level information only such as power output and plug type, but won't tell you about its availability or costs.
PlugShare
PlugShare is an international website that lists most charging points both locally and abroad. If you happen to be travelling overseas, Plugshare will help assist you by locating your nearest charging station. The PlugShare app, is free and is available for both Android and Apple devices can be downloaded by following the links below.
PlugShare on Google Play Store
Onboard Navigation
Virtually all EVs will be equipped with onboard navigation and you will be able to access a list of the nearest charging points and set your navigation to direct you to them. It's always best to familiarize yourself with this feature in your vehicle as you may find yourself outside of your regular cell phone network coverage and this is a handy way to get yourself out of a sticky situation.
