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Well, y’all I finally did it. I’m a member of the EV club! EV stands for electric vehicle and I’m happy to be in the electric car club. It took us a while to narrow down what kind of car we wanted and what was still available with the government’s $7500 electric car tax credit. We eventually settled on a 2023 Nissan Leaf.
Luckily the 2023 model arrived on a day we were looking at cars and it was just what we wanted! It’s the prettiest shade of blue with a black interior, heated seats, and steering wheel and it costs no money to fill it up! With gas prices still high, we were happy to trade in our 2011 car. I also love how energy efficient it is and good for the environment.
While we don’t have to worry about gas anymore, we have to keep an eye out for charging points and free charging stations now. We don’t have a plug-in installed at home at the moment so I’ve had to search and find free chargers and charge points near places that are a part of our daily routine. I didn’t notice it until now but there are locations almost everywhere now for EV!
If you do want to plan out a trip or find a free electric or charge point near you, I’ve got some data you’ll love below with six apps you can download on your phone. Check them out and download a few to try for yourself!
Free Charge Points Near Me: 4 of the Best Electric Vehicle Charging Apps
ABRP
This app (A Better Route Planner) is good for road trips because you can enter the starting point of your road trip and the end point of your trip. Say I’m going from Nashville to visit my in-laws in upstate New York. I would just enter both our addresses and ABRP tells you where you’ll have to stop along the way, how long it’ll take you with an electric vehicle, and the exact address of the charger to use. This app has a free membership that I use but also a premium level. The premium level is $5 a month or $50 a year which includes more features like charging notifications, sharing vehicle data with friends and family, and real-time charger availability to name a few things.
EVgo
While EVgo isn’t for free charge points, it’s good to mention if you’re looking for a fast charge. It can charge your car in minutes for a fee and get you back on the road in no time. If you download the app it shows all of the closest charging stations to you, how many chargers they have, and how many are currently available. You can also make a reservation, you just book through the app 20 minutes before you plan on arriving or pick a convenient time and date in the future.
PlugShare
This app has a map of all the charging locations around you. Free to iphone and android users, Plug Share also has photos and reviews of charging stations and allows you connect with other EV owners. To find free charge points, you just click the filter and unclick “Show Locations that Require Payment.” This will take it right off. I also like how you can create and save trips you might be going on.
Charge Point
If you use PlugShare to find a charging location, there’s a good chance one of them is Charge Point. I have the app and an account just to make it easier to connect and get the electric flowing. At my local Target they have Charge Point and the first two hours are free.
If you use a supercharger location it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. If you’re charging at home or other public charging station it can take up to half a day.
Short answer is it will stop! You’ll then most likely have to pay a tow truck to come get the car and take it to a charging station.
Driving of course drains the battery but heating and cooling are also drains on the battery.
Where are the best free charge points near you? Share with me in a comment below as well as your favorite EV apps!
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