Do you mean https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iternio.abrpapp&hl=en

Having tried to use ABRP on android auto on a trip to New Plymouth a few months ago I wouldn't actually recommend running it during a trip.

Ended up with a detour around Hamilton, ABRP never figured out how to re route the trip was like 5km later when I gave up and switched back to google maps with the charging stop that a ABRP had picked still ended up with plenty of charge at those points.

Unless your syncing other data so it can be smarter about when you need to stop its not really adding anything google cant do.

Having just returned last weekend from my first trip away in the EV, I would like to offer a little insight as to why I am not 100% certain that EV's are the way of the future for the masses in NZ: 

• Trip from AKL to Napier (approx 425km)
• BYD Atto3 (fully charged at home before setting off - indicates 480km range)
• Stop at Taupo to charge (50% charge left)
• Wait for nearly an hour for a charger to become available
• Charge for 40 minutes
• Make our way to Napier
• Thankfully there's a charger near the hotel
• Spend the weekend in Hawkes Bay - relatively free access to the charger around the corner until the last day of the long weekend
• Charge the car to full in Napier befor leaving - after waiting for around an hour at 6.30am for the others in the queue to finish charging
• Travel to Taupo
• Wait for an hour for a charger to be free 
• Charge for nearly an hour
• Travel through a lot of detours as much of SH1 is closed
• Get to Bombay with only 10% battery left
• Charge at Bombay to 80% before setting off on the last leg home
• The trip home was over 9 hours total. 

By comparison - if I had still had my Hybrid RAV4 - I would have stopped for gas at some stage in Napier - once and once only. I would have maybe stopped for a toilet break or two, but I wouldn't have been travelling for over 9 hours to get from Napier to Auckland on the way home. 

In my old Hybrid, I would have had no range anxiety. No wait times, but more cost overall, as fuel is expensive. 

Also - the BYD Atto3 was NOT a comfortable car to drive long distance. Driving position, seats, cruise control, etc - all were far less enjoyable than in any modern car I have had over the last decade or so. 

Dinga96: Could you not find another charger in Taupo.We had no problems finding one.There are several at the New World south of Taupo and then there's more near the fire statio n

Handsomedan:

 

• Wait for nearly an hour for a charger to become available  There are 7 CCS chargers in Taupo with 3-4 close to taupo unless you werer stuck to one brand of charger then there should have been no need to wait.
• Charge for 40 minutes  Sounds like you charged to 100 or close to it?? if so, why? Generally speaking, you should only charge to 80-90% as it gos super slow after that, better to charge 2x as it would be faster.
• Charge for nearly an hour Again why are you charging so long? 
• Charge at Bombay to 80% before setting off on the last leg home why not just charge to 30% to get home? then charge at home?

By comparison - if I had still had my Hybrid RAV4 - I would have stopped for gas at some stage in Napier - once and once only. I would have maybe stopped for a toilet break or two, but I wouldn't have been travelling for over 9 hours to get from Napier to Auckland on the way home. 

 

In my old Hybrid, I would have had no range anxiety. No wait times, but more cost overall, as fuel is expensive. 

 

Also - the BYD Atto3 was NOT a comfortable car to drive long distance. Driving position, seats, cruise control, etc - all were far less enjoyable than in any modern car I have had over the last decade or so. 

 

Some of those things that caused the extra time are inexperience in the EV world, you will learn better/faster ways to do things and travel. Dont rely on one charging network to charge, also look ahead to see if they are busy and alter your trip if you can. or use a different networks chargers, most are within 10c per kWh for price.

In my leaf which has a range half the size of yours I would have only been charging for 1h20 minutes over 2 charges.

It does take a little more planning and having a backup plan in place than driving an ICE vehicle, but there are apps out there which help things.

Thanks for highlighting this @handsomedan - if a generally experienced geek has trouble with this (even if not necessarily experienced with EVs per se), then it's probably safe to extrapolate that public will have trouble too. Still plenty of work to do on EV infrastructure in NZ.

@Handsomedan, FYI, you're able to charge non-Tesla vehicles at the nine Tesla chargers at Rainbow Point in Taupo. That would have saved you waiting around for so long. Sure they cost more to use (~$1/kWh) without a "$11/month member subscription" which lowers the cost to ~80c/kWh, but with 250kW available at each stall, I'd pay for the convenience.

Ideally you'd also find accommodation that has a destination charger so you can charge overnight. The Quest Apartments in Napier have recently installed EV chargers in the secure parking area, and they were really handy to top up with.

Travelling with an EV takes slightly more planning than a standard car, but it definitely shouldn't be as dificult as your trip. I'm going to say that the majority of your time spent waiting for an available charger, and then the charging time was down to a lack of user experience.

Here's a map showing all Tesla Superchargers available for non-Tesla vehicle use around NZ.

Handsomedan: 

I'm not prepared to sign up to every app and every charging service for the "convenience" of being able to charge at potentially a couple of additional places. 

The infrastructure isn't fit for purpose. 
Charging takes too long. 
Charger numbers are too low. 
Gas stations are plentiful and you can pay via EFTPOS, Card, Account, Cash etc. 
You don't need to be signed up to anything. 

EV charging needs to be fast, easy, convenient and available everywhere, or else NZers are not going to see this as an alternative to their gas guzzlers. 

 

But you're prepared to wait an hour for a charger? And complain how long the trip takes? all for the sake of not signing up to a couple more app's?

Things will get better, and we are still in the early adopter phase, so there are still a ways to go. it was probably the same back in the 20-40's with the introduction of the automobile.

Jase2985:

 

Handsomedan:

 

• Wait for nearly an hour for a charger to become available  There are 7 CCS chargers in Taupo with 3-4 close to taupo unless you werer stuck to one brand of charger then there should have been no need to wait.
• Charge for 40 minutes  Sounds like you charged to 100 or close to it?? if so, why? Generally speaking, you should only charge to 80-90% as it gos super slow after that, better to charge 2x as it would be faster.
• Charge for nearly an hour Again why are you charging so long? 
• Charge at Bombay to 80% before setting off on the last leg home why not just charge to 30% to get home? then charge at home?

By comparison - if I had still had my Hybrid RAV4 - I would have stopped for gas at some stage in Napier - once and once only. I would have maybe stopped for a toilet break or two, but I wouldn't have been travelling for over 9 hours to get from Napier to Auckland on the way home. 

 

In my old Hybrid, I would have had no range anxiety. No wait times, but more cost overall, as fuel is expensive. 

 

Also - the BYD Atto3 was NOT a comfortable car to drive long distance. Driving position, seats, cruise control, etc - all were far less enjoyable than in any modern car I have had over the last decade or so. 

 

See my comments in bold

 

Some of those things that caused the extra time are inexperience in the EV world, you will learn better/faster ways to do things and travel. Dont rely on one charging network to charge, also look ahead to see if they are busy and alter your trip if you can. or use a different networks chargers, most are within 10c per kWh for price.

 

In my leaf which has a range half the size of yours I would have only been charging for 1h20 minutes over 2 charges.

 

It does take a little more planning and having a backup plan in place than driving an ICE vehicle, but there are apps out there which help things.

 

Isn't this kind of the point though? 
I am relatively tech-savvy. 
I also have done a little reseearch here and elsewhere. 

The average driver shouldn't have to know any of this stuff. Shouldn't have to sign up to a bunch of dofferent services to make the journey "easier". 

We've had a century or more of drive. Stop. Fill up. Move on. 

Handsomedan:

We've had a century or more of drive. Stop. Fill up. Move on. 

 

Yep but EV's aren't ICE's. They are different, have shorter range, take longer to charger and until you realise that you will be stuck in your old ways of Stop. Fill up. Move on. 

Things will get better, and we are still in the early adopter phase. Technology is getting better all the time and in 5-10 years the range will be a lot higher as will the charging rate.