A new smartphone app that integrates over 200,000 individual EV chargers in North America is now available to electric car drivers. Octopus Energy’s Octopus Charge aggregates information from over 10,000 charging stations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, eliminating the need for individual apps for over a dozen operators.

The company, which has been running a similar service in Europe and other parts of the world for a few years, says it passes through the charging prices of the original network, without marking up energy costs. So, if one stall sells energy for $0.50/kilowatt-hour, that’s the price that will be used in the Octopus Charge app, too.

What’s more, EV drivers can set up a payment method in the app and use that for billing across all the supported networks, making life a lot easier, especially when traveling long distances. Octopus Energy’s app shows real-time availability, charger speed, compatibility, pricing, and nearby amenities. Drivers can also input the make and model of their car, and the app will select the best settings for that particular EV to ensure that charging works flawlessly every time.

That’s the same functionality that General Motors offers through its brands’ apps, but those only work with GM-made EVs, while the Octopus Charge app works for any EV out there.

"We built Octopus Charge to remove unnecessary friction from the charging experience, helping drivers spend less time managing charging and more time enjoying the drive," said Sebastian Blake, Head of Product at Octopus Energy US.

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