WAZE “EV Charging” Station Locator - Plan Your EV Drives With Ease

Are you aware that Malaysia's favourite navigation app, Waze, can now locate the nearest EV Charging station? This function was brought out in phases globally starting early last year and is now officially available in Malaysia.

Google, which now owns Waze, introduced a similar tool to its Google Map back in Feb 2023. However, based on our observations, both Google Map and Waze do not appear to share EV charging station data.

Because Waze is a community-supported app, community members (map editors) or business owners (CPO) must update the EV charger data in real time to guarantee that users have access to the most accurate and complete information. However, Waze reminds all Map Editors to only map public charging stations and not private charging facilities.

When compared to the current applications that EV owners are accustomed to, such as PlugShare or A Better Route Planner (ABRP), Waze will undoubtedly feel comfortable because we have been using it for decades. We also know that updates from the community are far faster on Waze.

For starters, you must enable the EV Charging station feature in your Waze app's settings. In the settings, click on “vehicle details”, then “electric vehicle”. Then toggle on the “EV features”. You can even be more specific and choose the sort of plugs/nozzles that you want Waze to display to you to further drill-down your options. However, the "network" option is still not accessible, so you will be unable to define your preferred CPOs at this time.

Once you've completed the steps above, all you have to do is tap on “where to” in your Waze app and select the "EV Charging" icon, which is second from the left at the top of the screen. This would basically show you nearby EV Chargers. Waze shows chargers based on distance and location.

Tapping on an EV Charging station from the list will show you plug types and chargers available at the site, as well as the service provider, payment information, and pricing. However, you will be unable to make payments using Waze at this time. We believe it would be the next step for this popular navigation service provider.

Now there's more to it. Assume you want to travel to Skudai, Johor, and want to know your charging station alternatives along the route. After you've set your navigation, tap the "up arrow icon" at the bottom right to pull-up drive summary view. Here, you can tap on “add a stop”, then pick “EV Charging” and choose the EV charging station you wish to take a break at to charge your EV.

Based on our experience with the Waze EV Charging function, we can confidently state that this will be our go-to app once all of the EV chargers have been identified and keyed in by both the community and CPOs.

Why Waze and not any other app you might ask, well Waze has been the choice for most Malaysians as it pools live resources from the entire community to relay information such as traffic conditions, speed traps and even accidents which enables users to better plan their travel.

For any EV user, this is exactly what they require and now with the EV chargers available on Waze, why would you ever need any other navigation app?