EV charging apps on your Tesla screen with Android Auto
Tesla’s built-in trip planner is good at one thing: routing you between Superchargers. But if you drive to a non-Tesla network, want live reports on a charger, or just prefer the routing logic of another app, you are out of options on the native screen. That is where EV charging apps running through Android Auto change the picture. With TaaDa, you open the Tesla browser, stream Android Auto from your Android phone, and run the charging tools you already trust on the big center display. No adapter, no wires, just software.
Why a third party charging app on a Tesla
The Tesla planner is convenient, but it is built around the Supercharger network. For many drivers that is not the whole story:
- You use CCS stations, destination chargers or local networks that the Tesla map does not prioritize.
- You want community data: real photos, recent check-ins, and “is this charger actually working” reports.
- You want route planning that lets you tune speed, battery buffer, weather and charging-curve assumptions yourself.
Running dedicated charging apps does not replace the car, it complements it. You keep Tesla’s tight battery integration while gaining the breadth of the wider charging ecosystem.
A Better Route Planner on your Tesla screen
If there is one app EV drivers ask for by name, it is A Better Route Planner. Often shortened to ABRP, it is the reference tool for long-distance route planning in an electric car. It models your exact vehicle, predicts state of charge along the way, and lays out the optimal charging stops so you spend the least total time on the road.
The catch on a Tesla has always been the screen: ABRP on Tesla normally lives on your phone, which means glancing down while driving. With TaaDa, A Better Route Planner on Tesla runs through Android Auto and shows on the center display. You get its turn-by-turn guidance and live charging plan where you can actually see it. For anyone weighing a better route planner Tesla searches against the native planner, this is the difference between a phone-bound tool and a proper in-car experience.
Chargemap and PlugShare for finding charging stops
Route planning gets you moving, but sometimes you just need to find a plug nearby and know it works. Two apps lead here.
- Chargemap maps charging points across many networks, with pricing, connector types and user feedback. Running Chargemap on Tesla through Android Auto means you search and filter stations on the car screen rather than your phone. For drivers searching chargemap Tesla, this turns a phone app into a dashboard tool.
- PlugShare is the community favorite for live status. Its check-ins, photos and reviews tell you whether a station is free, occupied or broken before you commit. With PlugShare on Tesla in Android Auto, those crowd-sourced reports sit right next to your map. A plugshare Tesla setup is especially useful on unfamiliar routes.
Used together, Chargemap and PlugShare cover both sides of the problem: where the chargers are, and whether they are usable right now.
How TaaDa puts these apps on the center display
The mechanism is the same for every charging app. Tesla ships a web browser, and TaaDa uses it. You install TaaDa on your Android phone, share the phone’s connection with the car, and open TaaDa in the Tesla browser. The app streams a full Android Auto interface to the screen, and your installed apps appear there.
That means A Better Route Planner, Chargemap and PlugShare all show up as Android Auto apps on the Tesla display, alongside navigation and music. There is no dongle to plug in and nothing to wire. Audio for guidance prompts can route through the car speakers, so charging-stop reminders are spoken aloud, not buried on a muted phone.
Building a smarter charging workflow
A practical setup combines all three:
- Plan the trip in A Better Route Planner so your charging stops are spaced for the shortest total time.
- Cross-check a specific stop in PlugShare to confirm it is online and not blocked.
- Use Chargemap to compare nearby alternatives if your first choice is busy.
Because all of this runs inside Android Auto, you switch between them on the Tesla screen the same way you would on any phone, without ever leaving the driver’s seat or fumbling with a handset.
Tesla gave you a great car and a capable screen, but a closed charging planner. TaaDa opens it up. Bring A Better Route Planner, Chargemap, PlugShare and the rest of your EV charging apps onto the center display through Android Auto, and plan every charge with the tools you actually prefer.