Running out of juice in your EV? There's an app for that

One of the concerns of owning a full electric vehicle (not a plug-in hybrid like the Volt) is finding a charging station when necessary. Released to the App Store on Monday, March 7, there's an app for that.

It's called PlugShare. Available free in the App Store, it was developed by Xatori. Xatori co-founder and chief executive Forrest North previously worked as an engineer at EV maker Tesla Motors, and also founded and was CEO of Mission Motors. The app is coming soon to the Android Market, the company said.

The PlugShare network, aside from relying on public charging stations, allows those with or without EVs to sign up and "donate" their electricity to the network. Palo Alto-based, Xatori said that in . the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, it will cost on average about 15 cents an hour to charge an electric car.

Because of the limited range of an EV, and the relative lack of charging stations, the PlugShare Network could be a lifesaver for someone who miscalculates the distance needed to drive for their errands or whatever. North said,

"We want to build and support a community that’s creating a paradigm shift to a massively cleaner type of transportation. The reality is that most people will charge their electric vehicles at home and not exceed the range of their vehicle very often. This [app] provides a kind of backup plan, and lets you feel comfortable. If you did miscalculate, you’d be ok.”

Co-founder and CTO Armen Petrosian added,

"This is more like a backup network, like A.A.A. Most of the time you’ll drive on energy from your own house. If you miscalculate, you can rely on the community.”

PlugShare or rather, Xatori, has released a demo video on how the app works. You can see it below.

Via: Mobilized, TechCrunch, New York Times