Apple Maps’ EV routing is finally coming to the Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge

Apple Maps will soon be an option for Ford Mach-E owners. It's understandable if that feature doesn't ring a bell, but it's mostly been. According to the Apple Maps site, the feature assesses your charge level, elevation, and compatible charging stops along your route.

The page on Ford's website says that Mach-E owners with a certain version of the vehicle will be able to use the route planning app on their phone. Ford says the screen will show how much battery the car has left when you get to your destination.

Image: Ford

It is possible that the Mach-E is the first vehicle to get this feature. i3 owners seemed pretty sure they wouldn't be getting it, and i4 buyers seemed pretty sure they would, but I couldn't find any solid reports that the feature has made its way to any BMW models. I will hear from a lot of people that they have been using it for a year.

I wasn't able to find a list from Apple, and they didn't respond to a request for comment on the matter. It seems like some work is required on the part of the automakers to make the car and phone talk to each other, which could explain why the feature took so long.

Apple Maps can be used to find EV charging stations, as well as to route you to the gas stations that ICE drivers can use. It doesn't help when planning out long trips like the one that the routing feature is supposed to help with.

The Mach-E does have a built-in version of this feature, which Ford says has some extra features like charge station availability, information on how fast the chargers can juice up your vehicle, etc.

It's debatable whether that's Ford's problem to solve, but it does mean that Apple's solution is only half the battle when it comes to charging. If you prefer Apple Maps over Ford's built-in navigation, it's nice to have options. Maybe if Apple ever comes out with a car, it will be able to bend the charging network into shape. It might take a while since Ford recently hired the person that was in charge of Apple's automotive efforts.

The Apple EV routing page appears to be back up on the Ford website.