Before hitting the road this summer, a reliable charging app on your phone can make the difference between a stress-free trip and avoidable frustration. The market is currently full of options, ranging from single-operator apps to eMSP apps that aggregate multiple networks.
Not all are created equal for holiday travel: here are the criteria that really matter, the types of apps you'll encounter, and why choosing the right all-in-one app is a game-changer for your road trip.
This is the number one criterion!
The French market has many charging operators, such as TotalEnergies, Ionity, Electra, Allego, Powerdot, ChargePoint, Freshmile, Izivia, Indigo, Shell, and Leclerc, each with its own geographical footprint. An app that only aggregates one of these networks will severely limit you as soon as you leave its usual coverage area, which is almost inevitable on a long holiday trip crossing multiple regions or even countries.
An app that displays outdated data wastes your time and may even send you to a charging station that is already occupied or out of service. The quality of real-time updates is far more important than the raw number of listed stations: it is better to have a an app that lists 80% of the network with reliable data, than an app that lists 100% with information that doesn't reflect the reality on the ground.
When you're on vacation, you don't want to create a new account for every network you encounter on the road, nor do you want to pull out your credit card at every stop. An app that centralizes payment, regardless of the charging station operator, significantly simplifies the experience and avoids unpleasant billing surprises.
Another point to watch out for: charging stations don't always display the rates applicable on-site. With the Oriway mobile app, the price is displayed for each station and each charging point before you even plug in, which prevents you from discovering the cost only after charging is complete.
Beyond simply locating charging stations, some apps go further by integrating a true trip planner: starting point, destination, battery level, and sometimes even taking the terrain into account to calculate necessary stops. This feature makes a real difference on long trips, as it prevents you from having to search for a charging station in a rush while on the road.
In practical terms, a good planner displays the following for each trip:
Many charging station operators offer their own app, which is convenient on their network but generally useless elsewhere. For a holiday trip that crosses several regions, juggling multiple single-network apps means managing multiple accounts, passwords, and payment methods—a source of complexity that is easily avoidable.
In contrast, an eMSP (Electro-Mobility Service Provider) app aggregates access to many different charging networks within a single interface. Several players have entered this segment, with approaches that vary in their focus on either the general public or professional users. We detail how this type of solution works in our article What is an EV charging eMSP and what is its role, as well as the difference between CPO and eMSP in our article CPO vs eMSP: understanding the EV charging ecosystem.
Some eMSP apps work on their own, using a simple virtual token integrated into the account to start a session.
Others, like Oriway, rely on a dedicated pass—physical or digital—which remains the primary means of accessing the station, while the app serves as a tool for locating, planning, and monitoring. This is not an extra burden: the Oriway pass can be ordered directly from the app, in just a few minutes, with no paperwork, and it replaces all the various badges you would have otherwise had to request from every operator you encountered on the road.
A single interface to locate available charging stations, plan your route with the necessary charging stops, start a session, and track your consumption, regardless of the operator you encounter on the road: that is the goal of a good eMSP app for vacation use.
With the Oriway app, this logic extends to the trip planner, which calculates your stops by taking into account the actual terrain of the route, and to the Watas loyalty program, which lets you earn rewards with every charge made using your pass. We detail how this planner works in our article Electric cars on vacation: how to properly anticipate your charging stops on the road, and the fundamentals of trip planning in Electric vehicles: mastering your range and anticipating charging stops.
One app, one pass, for all your vacation trips.
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No, not if you choose an eMSP app that aggregates multiple networks: it saves you from having to manage multiple accounts and payment methods throughout your journey.
Most charging apps provide a coverage map that you can check before you leave; it is recommended to verify this for your entire route, not just your starting point.
It depends on each app's interoperability agreements with local networks: some cover several European countries, while others are limited to France.
It depends on the solution: some apps work with a simple virtual token integrated into your account, while others, like Oriway, rely on a dedicated pass ordered directly through the app, which serves as your primary access method at the charging station.
