Apple Maps Update for Europe Includes Focus on Electric Vehicles

Apple Maps Update for Europe Includes Focus on Electric Vehicles
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Apple is expanding the capabilities of its Maps app in Europe to help users charge their electric vehicles or find bike rental hubs, according to Bloomberg. The company has added the locations of the U.K.’s electric vehicle charging stations by incorporating data from Cirrantic’s Moovility service.

It has also added public bicycle rental and drop-off points to maps of London, New York and Paris in a catch-up to long-time mobile navigation leader Google, which has listed such stations in multiple countries for some time.Apple laid out its updates to Maps in a briefing in London Wednesday.

Improving its mapping products has become a key focal point for Apple in its battle with Google. Apple introduced electric vehicle charging points in Maps in the U.S. in December. In May last year, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said his company would open a new Indian development center in Hyderabad, with a specific focus on speeding up the development of more competitive mapping tools. It plans to employ as many as 4,000 people in that facility.

Apple first integrated transit information for the U.K. into Apple Maps in December, which includes route information for trains and buses across the nation, as well as London Underground services in the capital.

“We think that consistent, live information of the growing charger infrastructure increases the confidence of EV drivers and, especially with Apple Maps, attracts new user groups to sustainable mobility offerings like EV cars,“ said Arne Meusel, CEO and co-founder of Cirrantic. “In the U.K. we started with supporting the major charger operators, including Podpoint, CYC, Ecotricity, NPower and NewMotion. Any interested operator is welcome to set up a connection with us.“