---
title: 'Finding a working charger: map filters that actually help'
description: 'Available, free, 100 kW+, CCS — how driver maps should filter reality, not every pin that was ever installed.'
author: yacine
date: '2026-04-15'
categories:
  - product
  - charging
tags:
  - map
  - drivers
  - availability
  - chargers
  - app
imgSocial: finding-a-working-charger-on-the-map.webp
imgThumb: finding-a-working-charger-on-the-map.webp
toc_depth: 3
---

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](/blog/driver-support-when-charging-goes-wrong).

## What’s next

If Start still fails after you find a bay, read [Charger won’t start](/blog/charger-wont-start-session). For pricing before you commit, see [Transparent pricing at the charger](/blog/transparent-pricing-at-the-charger).

→ [Try conversational search](/#features)