A charging port is seen on a Mercedes Benz EQC 400 4Matic electric vehicle at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 13, 2019.
Mark Blinch | Reuters
An updated version of Google Maps for Android and iPhone is rolling out with several new features, such as the option to search for electric vehicle stations with fast chargers and an augmented reality feature that overlays more information about local points of interest on top of the real world around you.
Here’s what’s new.
Find fast chargers for your electric car
If you drive an EV, you’ll be able to filter charging stations to find the most time-efficient option. So, if you search for a “charging station” in Google Maps, for example, a new option appears that allows you to filter out to show only “fast charge” stations that are compatible with the plug your car uses. It builds on an earlier update that allows users to search for stations by plug compatibility.
Find stations with fast chargers (left) and plugs compatible with your EV (right).
Fast charging includes stations with chargers 50kW or higher. The update is available in countries where EV charging stations are available, according to Google.
New AR feature coming to Google Maps
Search with Live View starts rolling out in 6 cities next week.
Google Maps is also getting an update to its augmented reality tool. Starting next week, a feature called “Search with Live View” will let you use your phone camera to find out what’s around you.
When you hold up your phone, for example, and tap the camera icon in Maps, you’ll see nearby landmarks, parks, hotels, restaurants, bars, banks and ATMs. You’ll also see info such as how busy the location is, whether it’s open, what the price range is and how it’s rated by Google Maps users.
The feature will first launch in six major cities: New York, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and Paris.
Google adds wheelchair accessibility info to global maps
The ability to see wheelchair accessibility places is now available globally on Android and iOS.
Google has expanded its Accessible Places feature, which shows an icon on a business profile to indicate that it’s wheelchair accessible, to all global markets. The option has been available in the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Japan since 2020. Google highlighted that the feature can be useful for people who are walking with a stroller or a cart, too, since they may want to know if a ramp is available before visiting a specific location. The accessibility indicator is powered by business owners and people who use Google Maps.
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