At this time, the Trip Planner tool is available in varying levels of functionality based on the platform you are using. This article will focus on planning a new trip using the PlugShare app on an iOS (Apple) device, such as an iPhone or iPad.
Please know that we generally recommend planning trips on plugshare.com using a desktop browser - there are additional range features included there to support the trip planning experience. We've created a more robust guide for planning trips on the web and included answers to some commonly asked questions, which we'll link from this article where appropriate.
Check out our complete guide for planning your first trip here!
When planning a new trip, you can expect to follow the below steps. Feel free to click each step for our tips on planning a successful journey!
- Create your trip
- Select your preferred route
- Select charging locations along your route
- Save your trip
- Get directions and get moving!
Alternate Trip Planner Resources:
- Trip Planner: Create a trip on the web
- Trip Planner on Android app: Route Search
- Trip Planner: Elevation Data
- Trip Planner: Get directions
- Trip Planner: Add and remove stops/locations
- Trip Planner: Edit your route
- Trip Planner: Delete a trip
- Advanced features for Trip Planner on the web
1. Create your trip and confirm details
- From the landing page, select "Trips" on the bottom of the screen
- Within the "Trips" page, tap the blue "+" in the top right corner
- On the "Trip Planner" page, you must:
- Provide the starting and destination address for your trip
- Confirm your vehicle and details on its range
- Tap "Find Routes" when everything looks good!
- Select your preferred route
Note: After this point, you cannot go back to change your previous selections. You will need to tap "Cancel" on the top left and then start a new trip if you need to edit your previous selections.
- Find more information on setting your vehicle's range.
- Find answers to commonly asked questions about creating your trip.
2. Select your preferred route
After you've confirmed the key details about your journey, PlugShare will generate 3 route options you can take to reach your destination. These routes are chosen as your top 3 options based on the most efficient route with plenty of charging locations along the way.
We provide a general idea on what you can expect for the route, including a map view, the primary highway/motorway you can expect to take, and the distance you can expect to travel. To confirm the route:
- Select the route option in the list view below the map
- Look for the blue check in the list view and dark green path on the map to visually confirm your selection
- Tap "Continue" at the bottom of the page to select charging locations
Find more information on your route options and alternatives here.
If you know you want to take a different route or detour altogether, you should select the option that most closely matches your desired route to get the trip started. You can later add stops to your PlugShare trip along your preferred route to help you navigate where you want to be. You can find more details on this in our article Trip Planner: Edit your route
3. Select charging locations along your route
We'll recommend the best location options on route where you can stop to charge along the way. PlugShare will typically look for the fastest charging locations for your vehicle along your route with high PlugScores. You can tap "Show all" at the top of the screen to view all locations on the map, and you can always use your filters to narrow results based on your preferences.
To add stops:
- Select the location's map icon to review a brief location summary at the bottom of your screen
- Tap the location summary to review the full Station Details window
- Tap "Add to trip" to add the location as a stop on your route
- Save your trip when things look good!
Please know that there are additional tools to help you choose locations based on your vehicle's range when using a desktop browser. Find more details and recommendations around choosing charging locations here.
4. Save your trip
After you've chosen a route that works for you, you can save your trip at any time during your trip planning process. We'll also ask you to save your trip automatically when your final stop is shorter than the max range of your vehicle (confirming that your trip is largely planned). When saving:
- Tap the "Save" button in the top right corner of the trip
- Give your trip a name you will remember (we'll name it for your destination's city by default)
Once the trip has been saved, you can access it from your PlugShare account on any device. This means you can get directions from anywhere and get moving!
