Chargepoint’s charging app now works with Apple CarPlay

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  iOS 14 opened up Apple CarPlay to EV charging apps, and ChargePoint has taken advantage of that. [credit: Eric Bangeman ]

It’s fair to say I got excited when Apple first revealed its plan to let users cast iOS apps to a car’s infotainment screen via CarPlay. But it’s also fair to say that four years after it first arrived in the wild, CarPlay still feels pretty spartan.

A lot of that is down to the categories of app that Apple will allow crossing the phone-car barrier. To begin with, this feature was limited to audio playback apps like Spotify or Audible. The list of permissible apps remained heavily locked down until earlier this year with the release of iOS 14, which opened up your infotainment screen to parking, takeout, and EV charging apps. And ChargePoint is one of the first charging network to take advantage of it.

Like always with CarPlay, the ChargePoint app runs on your phone, casting a second screen to the infotainment display. As you can see from the screenshots, the app will show you nearby chargers on a map, let you query what kind of chargers they are, and then navigate you there, all powered by Apple Maps. The app also allows you to authenticate and begin charging once you’re at the charger.