Designing an EV charger finder: the map, filters and data behind Watt’s Nearby
Finding a suitable electric vehicle charging point can take more than spotting a pin on a map. I built Watt’s Nearby, a free UK EV charger finder, to help drivers search nearby charging stations and filter results by the options that suit their vehicle.
And yes, the name is a deliberate little pun.
Designing an interactive EV charging map
I used Leaflet with CARTO basemap tiles to build an interactive EV charging map. Custom charging-point markers, postcode search and a results panel let drivers explore stations on the map and compare them in a list.
Finding reliable EV charging data
The more challenging part was finding reliable charging-point data. I explored the Open Charge Map API, which provides information about EV charging locations, connectors and charging facilities.
No single source covered everything I wanted, so I also investigated sources such as char.gy. Combining them meant normalising different data formats into a consistent set of results.
A PHP endpoint retrieves charger data for a location, while JavaScript handles the map and results. Postcode search uses geocoding to turn a UK postcode into coordinates.
EV charger filters that help drivers choose
Rather than leave drivers with a map full of pins, Watt’s Nearby filters charging points by speed and connector type, including CCS, CHAdeMO and Type 2. The results list updates with the selected location, so people can focus on stations that work for their vehicle.
I’m continuing to improve how charging-point data is gathered from multiple sources. Coverage, consistency and freshness all affect how useful an EV charger finder can be.
Building a better way to find EV chargers
Watt’s Nearby brings interaction design, mapping and charging data together in a practical EV charging station finder. I’m continuing to develop it as the data and service evolve.