A new player has entered the electric vehicle app ecosystem: NearCharge. Developed by the esteemed Ulrich Rozier, Julien Cadot, and Mathieu Menut, this iOS app promises one thing: to find the nearest charging station with just one click, no frills attached.
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Born Out of Frustration
The app was created during spare time
and through vibe-coding
by a well-known trio in the French tech scene: Ulrich Rozier, Julien Cadot, and Mathieu Menut. Their initiative stemmed from a shared frustration among many electric vehicle drivers: the complexity of current solutions that sometimes leads to spending more time searching for a station than charging
. NearCharge is all about simplicity.
The home screen is as minimalist as it gets, offering two main options: Find the nearest station
or Search another address…
. The goal is to provide an immediate solution for urgent charging needs without the complexities of a complete trip planner. The app targets drivers who need a reliable, swift, and straightforward
solution, and best of all, no registration is required.
Just the Essentials
Once the search is initiated, NearCharge displays available stations on a map. The interface, described as clean and intuitive
, shows crucial information such as the operator, the power output (for example, 25 kW or 120 kW), the number of connectors, and their types (CCS, CHAdeMO, Type 2, etc.).
A prominent blue button Go to this station
allows users to start navigation directly in their preferred GPS app. Filters are available in the settings to refine the search. Users can select their compatible connectors (Tesla, Type 1, CCS, etc.) and sort by charging speed, with clear thresholds: Slow (<100kW), Fast (100-349kW), or Ultra-fast (>=350kW/800V). The app also comes with an iOS widget.
What’s the Verdict?
The issue with charging isn’t often the availability of stations but rather the plethora of necessary apps to find and use them. Between Chargemap, manufacturer apps, planners like ABRP, and network-specific apps, it can get pretty confusing (not to mention the subscriptions, but we’ve got you covered there).
NearCharge takes a step back by offering a layer of simplicity. The concept isn’t about planning an 800 km journey, but rather answering the question: Where is the nearest charging station right now?
. The fact that the app relies on the open database OpenChargeMap is clear. It’s a single-task utility tool that fulfills its creators’ promise: One click, and it’s done
. The frustration that sparked its creation is undoubtedly shared by many electric vehicle drivers, myself included. So, thank you!