3 TomTom APIs and SDKs That Power Electric Vehicle Routing

There are nearly 6 million electric vehicles (EV) on the road worldwide.¹ A number of big name auto makers are rolling out more EV options than ever, although large-scale production has been hampered by complications arising from the COVID-19 crisis.
In spite of the growing popularity, prospective and current EV owners alike are nervous. It's called “range anxiety” — the fear of running out of power before reaching a destination.

Range anxiety is understandable. In the United States, gas stations outnumber EV charging stations by about 7 to 1.¹ That’s a sobering statistic, but not necessarily a bleak one. There are currently about 76,000 existing public charging stations across the country. Plans are underway for the installation of at least 3,500 high-speed chargers by the end of 2021², with the target date being held open until after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is fully determined.

Charging station availability, then, may be less of a concern for EV drivers than finding one. That’s where TomTom APIs and SDKs dedicated to electric mobility are amping up excitement for app developers.

Unpacking the TomTom API and SDK Toolkit

Responding to the needs of EV drivers is the best solution for quelling range anxiety. TomTom Map APIs and SDKs provide the tools you need to build an EV route planner with accurate, at-a-glance trip travel information:

• Long Distance EV Routing enables drivers to easily plan trips that encompass optimized EV charging stops. By defining the chargingMode, drivers can calculate routes based on their vehicle's specific charging behavior.
• Calculate Route gives drivers the most energy-efficient route based on accurate battery consumption calculations. Setting the vehicleEngineType parameter to electric and routeType to eco maximizes how far a vehicle can go between charges.
• Common Routing Parameters define precise EV routing and reachable range calculations based on advanced electric consumption models that factor in common elements such as acceleration and uphill efficiency.

TomTom’s focus on electric mobility gives app developers routing market coverage throughout the world, enabling EV drivers to travel with confidence instead of range anxiety. Determine how APIs fit into your digital mapping needs with our tip sheet, Should I License Map Data or a Map API Platform?

SOURCES
1GeoAwesomeness, Beating range anxiety: TomTom might just help me buy my first electric car, December 14, 2019
2Marketplace, Availability of charging stations a stumbling block for electric cars, January 9, 2020