Android Auto adding new Google Maps EV filters for charging speed, payment method

Google Maps for Android Auto is picking up some new features for EV owners, with new filters in the works for charging speed and payment method when you’re searching for a charging station.

As it stands today, Android Auto allows EV owners to start a search for a nearby charging station and access filters for factors such as charging speed, but the filters need to be applied on each search. The filters only appear when actively searching for a charging station.

With new updates, Google is working to streamline this process.

In the current Android Auto 15.7.654604 beta release, we’re seeing a new “EV payment filters” setting that allows drivers to set their preferred charging station payment methods before searching. The menu includes filters for the following charging payment methods:

The list is ordered in two sections. There’s a “Common” section with “the five options that appear most frequently” in your country on Google Maps, and then an “Other” section that lists all available options in your country.

This is readily available in the latest Android Auto update as long as EV settings are enabled for Google Maps through the Android Auto settings menu. But, as Android Auto 15.7 is still in beta, you might have to wait a bit longer to use it in your vehicle.

Google is also working on a persistent filter for EV charging stations by speed through Google Maps settings, rather than requiring it to be set manually on each new search. This isn’t live in the latest update, but the folks at Android Authority were able to manually turn it on. Drivers will be able to choose charging stations with speeds including “Slow charge” (up to 49kW) or “Quick charge” (50kW or higher) while also having granular control of the specific charging speed in increments of “Up to 9kW,” “10 to 49kW,” “50 to 149kW,” “150 to 349kW,” and “350kW and faster.” Drivers can apparently select more than one option.

Notably, the same publication also found that Android Auto is preparing an updated taskbar that removes the time and condenses all icons to the middle of the taskbar. We suspect this one might be in very early days and unfinished, but we’ll have to wait and see. AndroidSage found an updated view for the upcoming widget support, but that’s also still in early days.

More on Android Auto:

• Report: Tesla is working on adding CarPlay support, but ignoring Android Auto
• Gemini starts rolling out on Android Auto with Live support [Gallery]
• Android Auto prepares support for app widgets as latest updates roll out [Gallery]

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