A map full of green pins is useless if half of them are offline, occupied, or Type 2 only when you need CCS. Drivers do not need more markers. They need working options, ranked honestly.
This post is about the filters that matter, why availability lies, and how we use the agent so you are not pinching a map for five minutes at a highway exit.
Filters drivers actually use
These are the controls we prioritize in the product:
- Available now — free and online, not merely “installed”
- Minimum power — e.g. 50 / 100 / 150 kW for highway stops
- Connector — CCS2, CHAdeMO, Type 2
- Access — public vs restricted vs paid parking
- Price band — when tariffs are known and trustworthy
Everything else is secondary until those work.
Why availability lies
CPOs push status over OCPP. Roaming can lag. Some stations only update when a session ends. “Available” is a best-effort signal.
We still prefer live telemetry over static directories, and we would rather show a cautious status than a confident green that fails at Start. When the site is degraded, the product should say so early and offer a detour.
Agent-first search
Typing filters is slower than saying:
Find a free 100 kW CCS charger near me under €0.55/kWh.
The agent applies the same filters the map UI would, then can start the session and stream cost — without you fighting the viewport. The map is still there when you want it; it should not be the only interface.
When nothing nearby works
The honest product response is: nothing matches, here is the next best detour. Leaving a driver in a full bay staring at a faulted unit is a product failure, not only a CPO failure.
Re-routing is part of charging UX, not a support afterthought. We pair this with the same incident data used in driver support .
What’s next
If Start still fails after you find a bay, read Charger won’t start . For pricing before you commit, see Transparent pricing at the charger .