Entitled “Leveraging Mobile Apps in the Electric Vehicle Market”, the report finds that the market for mobile apps for EVs is still at a nascent stage but says there’s tremendous scope for innovation and development.

Currently available apps fall into four main categories – EV apps, educational apps, EV charging infrastructure apps, and EV sharing apps – but there are fast increasing opportunities for mobile app development. For instance, app developers can focus on solutions to facilitate EV authentication and subsequent payment at the charging station.

The European market is witnessing already a steady rise in the number of smartphone applications for EV and charging infrastructure. This is expected to further expand with the EU’s plans to set up more charging stations.

Moreover, as the adoption rate of EVs rises, a related increase in the number and types of mobile apps in the market is likely. However, a major challenge for mobile app providers is to offer innovative and user-friendly services that distinguish them from the competition.

‘Currently, the EV market is dominated by location-based apps,’ said Frost & Sullivan information & communication technologies research analyst, Shuba Ramkumar. ‘This means that there is a huge opportunity to grow beyond such confines and provide value-added services such as authentication, payment and smart home controls.’