Mobile applications to locate charging stations on the move

When you manage a fleet of electric vehiclesthe question of charging on the move is never insignificant. Where to recharge? Which charging station is available? Is it compatible with the vehicle? These are the critical questions that to which mobile charging station locator applications provide concrete answers. Thanks to them, drivers gain greater autonomy, fleet managers gain peace of mind, and recharging stops become more efficient. But not all apps are created equal. This guide will help you sort through them, by identifying the the best solutions on the markettheir key functionalities, and their real value for an electric fleet on the move.

Why use an app to locate charging stations?

Electric mobility requires more complex recharging logistics than those for combustion-powered vehicles. To optimize journeys and avoid unforeseen events, charging station location applications are becoming indispensable everyday tools.

Anticipate, locate, recharge without stress

A dedicated application allows electric vehicle drivers to :

• Quickly locate available terminals nearby or along a route;
• Check in real time whether the terminal is free, down or occupied;
• Consult connector types, available power and rates;
• Launch a remote recharge, sometimes directly from the ;
• Leave a review or a note to inform other users of the station's reliability.

This simplifies fleet management enormously. Recharging stops can be planned, energy consumption better monitored, and downtime better controlled. For a company, this means time saved, stress avoided and costs and reduced operating costs.

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An essential building block in the smart charging ecosystem

By integrating these tools into an overall energy management strategy, companies can go even further: cross-reference charging data with routes, analyze costs per mission, or automate certain decisions (choice of priority charging stations, optimized routes).

Partners like Bump are already supporting professionals in this approach. Thanks to connected solutions, Bump canintegrate data from location applications into fleet management tools, for optimized recharging on the move. All without friction between drivers in the field and energy performance managers.

Bump: an integrated professional solution for tracking, recharging and supervision

Before we get lost in the jungle of mobile applications, let's start with what businesses are really looking for: a reliable, interoperable, controllable recharging solution adapted to the constraints of the field. This is exactly what Bump offers, going far beyond a simple map of charging stations.

A complete platform for fleet managers

Bump is not a classic application. It's a professional charging ecosystem designed for corporate fleets. Here are its main features:

• Location of Bump terminals and roaming partners, accessible via a dedicated interface or integrated into your fleet management tools.
• Interoperability full with major public networks via GIREVE, guaranteeing wide access to over 350,000 terminals in Europe.
• Real-time monitoring of each vehicle's energy consumption: kWh, duration, costs.
• Centralized supervision: all charging data, whether at the depot, on the road or at home, are consolidated in a single dashboard.
• Unified invoicing: no more dozens of accounts to manage, everything is grouped together and optimized.
• Energy optimization with choice of terminal based on price, power, availability and vehicle route.
• Personalized support: Bump helps its customers choose the best complementary apps (Chargemap, ABRP...) and integrate them into their overall strategy.

A solution designed for professional use

Unlike consumer applications, Bump addresses business-critical issues:

• Lower operating costs;
• Time-saving for drivers thanks to anticipated recharging paths ;
• Better decision-making for managers thanks to unified data ;
• Native interoperability, essential to avoid dependence on a single network.

It's the difference between a simple app and a robust business solution designed to optimize an electric fleet.

How do you choose the right application for your fleet's needs?

The choice of a charging station location application should never be made at random. It must be guided by the specific features of your fleet, your daily usage and your management imperatives. Here are the main criteria to consider when making the right choice.

1. Fleet type and usual routes

• Local or regional fleets: opt for an application with very good national geographic coverage, like Chargemap, coupled with centralized supervision like Bump.
• Long-haul fleets: opt for solutions integrating intelligent route planning, such as ABRP, or the Bump ecosystem, which enables optimized stops to be integrated into routes.
• Mixed or multi-energy fleets: you'll need an application capable of managing different types of vehicles and terminals, with maximum interoperability.

2. The need for supervision and centralization

If you manage several vehicles, several drivers, or even several sites, you need a centralized tool. This is where Bump comes into its own: you don't just find a charging station, you supervise all charging operations, whether on the road or at the depot.

3. Compatibility with your energy strategy

Some applications, such as those for the general public, won't tell you whether the terminal is energy-efficient, or whether it will cost you €0.20 or €0.50 per kWh. A solution like Bump allows you to integrate this dimension into your journeys, by combining price, availability, power and CSR strategy.

4. User experience in the field

Don't underestimate the importance of the driver experience. A clear interface, reliable real-time information, easy terminal activation: these are the elements that make an application truly useful. The simpler it is, the more it's adopted.

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