Summary
Apple is set to release a major update to iOS that addresses a critical pain point forelectric vehicleowners. Specifically, the upcoming iOS 18.4 update expands EV routing knowledge to include more EV charging locations for compatible cars with adapters.
Currently, Apple Maps EV routing is a useful but limited feature that allows Maps to link with the car to trackEV battery range, suggest stops to recharge along the route, and show the availability of charging stations. It can take the stress out of long journeys and eliminate range anxiety. However, it is only available on a few cars; the Porsche Taycan, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Ford F-150 Lightning.
Herein lies the problem. Last year, Ford started giving its EV customers free charging adapters to connect to the North American Charging Standard, commonly abbreviated to NACS, plugs found on Tesla superchargers. Thoughthe first batch was faulty, replacement adapters were sent out in October 2024 and it’s a common sight to see these Ford EVs at Superchargers.
This means drivers of electric Fords no longer had to rely on CCS charging only … but Apple Maps wasn’t updated with this information, and continued guiding customers to only CCS chargers, which might be further away, slower, and more expensive than the often-ubiquitous Tesla Superchargers.
What’s new in iOS 18.4?
Following the release of a public beta, code that shows a banner notification regarding charging adapters wasbrought to light by Aaron Perris. The wording proves Apple is finally fixing the issue. Instead of disregarding them entirely, Maps will now include charging stations that can be used with adapters, giving drivers more choice over where and when they charge.
iOS 18.4 benefits for EV owners
This feature isn’t available just yet. Some iOS users might have the option to download the beta now, but pre-releases are often full of bugs. It may crash your infotainment system, or drain your battery even quicker. We recommend waiting for the official release, expected in April. As soon as that stable release is available, you can download expecting a fresh CarPlay feature for your EV.
The only downside is that EV routing is still limited to just those three models. We hope this continued support from major companies like Apple will encourage more automakers to enable it. In the meantime, Google Maps via CarPlay already has similar technology. Plus, most electric vehicles with built-in navigation show compatible charge points, and over-the-air updates should keep the native system current.
