Who’s in charge

Google Maps added plug-in electric vehicle charging stations to its list of features this spring. Users are to type “EV charging station” plus a city and little red balloons should pop up showing where they can charge their electric vehicles.

However, when you type “EV charging station near Reno” in the search box on Google Maps, the only result is the Donner Historical Society. No mention of others, such as that at the recently opened Einstein Bros. Bagels on South McCarran Boulevard, or at the Truckee Meadows Community College, which installed charging stations in 2008.

Google is drawing its information from the Department of Energy’s list of more than 600 charging stations nationwide, which is obviously not entirely up to date. But it’s a start. Google invites those who want to add a charging station to the list to join the GeoEVSE forum at tinyurl.com/geoevse.