Summer travels made easy with CARIAD’s EV routing solutions

Navigation systems have long evolved from simple route planners to essential tools for efficient and stress-free driving. Especially when travelling in electric vehicles (EVs), precise energy management and charging infrastructure are making modern navigation systems indispensable. To this end, Francisco Ramon Moreno Garcia and his teams at CARIAD have developed a smart EV routing solution that puts an end to range anxiety, automatically integrating charging stops along the way and adapting the route dynamically while on the road.

Dynamic and fast route calculation

To do this, the cloud-native navigation software combines relevant data from the vehicle itself and multiple online sources. Considered are, for example, the vehicle’s consumption based on previous trips and how it is affected by the driver’s current driving behavior, route specifics such as ascents or ambient temperature. In addition, live data on traffic or charging station availability is taken into account, for instance a malfunction at a planned charging station or a traffic jam result in an automatic adjustment of the route. Thanks to its online-first approach, the route planning works within seconds. When no data connection is available, the solution switches to its onboard software, ensuring continued availability.

“The system also considers drivers’ personal preferences, for example with how much battery level they want to reach their destination. Charging stops are adjusted accordingly in the background, as it might not be necessary to charge the vehicle up to 100 percent at every charging station. In addition, drivers can filter charging stations by charging power or payment methods”, explains Francisco Ramon Moreno Garcia, Head of Maps at CARIAD.

With all these different options, how does one find the best route to take?

The globally optimized route

“Our navigation solution will always suggest a – as we call it – “globally optimized route” to drivers: This is the fastest of all possible routes, including charging stops along the way – whenever the destination is located outside of the car’s range”, says Moreno Garcia. Sometimes, a longer route with a high-speed charger can save time compared to a shorter one with slower options. In some cases, two short charging stops can beat one long one. “The system continuously evaluates these variables in near-real time to offer the most time-efficient journey. However, users can still add charging stops manually if they prefer to”, Moreno Garcia adds.

The EV routing solution with an innovative charging planner is already available in multiple Audi models, such as the Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron – developed in close cooperation with Audi teams. And there is more: With the myAudi app, you can even pre-plan your trip from home.

A seamless navigation experience across devices

In today’s connected world, users expect their digital experiences to transition effortlessly across devices, for example between smartphone and vehicle. To meet this demand, CARIAD teams have developed a multi-brand SDK (Software Development Kit) for a mobile navigation solution, which can easily be integrated into the brands’ apps: The SDK enables dynamic configuration to ensure a brand-specific look and can be adapted to the capabilities of the linked vehicle. All necessary information, such as information about certain vehicle models, is obtained from the so-called VIN (vehicle identification number).

This specific information is needed to ensure smooth synchronization of routes between mobile device and vehicle. Even travelling between countries has an impact on the mobile navigation solution: In a country where Plug & Charge is not available, the filter option will no longer be shown in the app either. This makes pre-planning your holiday trip smooth and easy.

Calculation in the backend

The route calculation functionality within the mobile application is powered by an in-house developed backend service, which leverages the same routing engine as the vehicle. This intelligent system calculates optimized routes for both smartphones and web portals by using each vehicle's specific consumption profile and charging characteristics. By tailoring routes to the unique attributes of each vehicle, the solution ensures a consistent and standardized routing experience across all brands and vehicle classes. It accounts for a wide range of influencing factors - including drivetrain type, brand, model year, battery capacity and more – managing significant complexity behind the scenes.

With these solutions, CARIAD teams ensure that every driver reaches their holiday destination safely and efficiently – always on the best route.