About A Better Routeplanner (ABRP)
For the first year with my EV, I used my car’s own navigation system for trips. It was a constant source of stress. It would route me to broken chargers or suggest stops that made no sense, leaving me white-knuckling it on the highway more than once. A friend with a Tesla kept raving about ABRP, so I figured I had nothing to lose by trying a free app. I downloaded it right before a planned trip to my cousin’s wedding in Asheville last fall. That drive was the first time I didn’t feel a pit in my stomach about my battery. ABRP doesn’t just show you chargers; it builds the entire trip for you, thinking about your specific car, the weather, and even how fast you drive. After using it for over a year now, I wouldn’t attempt a trip longer than my grocery run without it.
Features & Highlights
What hooked me was the level of detail you can put in. I drive a Kia EV6, and I can tell ABRP exactly which model, my starting battery percentage, and even my preferred charging networks. You can tell it you want to arrive with 20% battery left, which is a lifesaver when your destination is up a mountain. The weather adjustment feature is brilliant. Last January, driving back from a ski weekend, it automatically added an extra charging stop because of the cold, something my car’s system never did. I also love that you can plan a trip with multiple waypoints. Planning our summer vacation was easy—I just plugged in the hotel, the national park, and a restaurant, and it sorted out the most efficient charging strategy between all of them. Seeing the estimated battery level at every point on the map is incredibly reassuring.
User Experience
The first screen can look like a pilot’s cockpit with all the numbers and settings. I’ll be honest, it took me a few tries to understand what all the sliders did. But once you set up your car profile, you mostly just enter a destination and go. On that Asheville trip, I remember it told me to stop at an Electrify America station off I-40 for 22 minutes. I pulled in, the charger worked, and 22 minutes later I was back on the road with the exact charge it predicted. Watching the little battery icon drain and refill along the route line on my iPhone 15 Pro screen is weirdly satisfying. It’s not the prettiest app, but it feels smart and in control. The information is what you need, right where you need it.
Pricing
This is where ABRP really wins for someone like me. The core app is completely free. I used just the free version for ten months and it solved 95% of my problems. They have a premium subscription, and I was skeptical. What were they locking away? I finally tried it for a big cross-country move. Premium lets you connect a cheap OBD dongle to your car so the app gets live battery data. It makes the plans even more precise because it knows exactly how *your* driving affects range. At about five bucks a month, I decided it was worth it for that trip, and I’ve kept it since because I road-trip a lot. But I appreciate that they don’t hide the essential function behind a paywall. You can test everything that matters for free.
Updates & Support
I see updates every few weeks, usually for new car models or charger networks. The map data seems fresh; I rarely find a charger marked as available that’s actually out of service. I had one issue where the app was underestimating my consumption on a specific highway stretch. I used the in-app feedback form on a Tuesday morning. I didn’t hear anything for a few days, which I expected for a free app. But by Friday, I got a real email from a person asking for a bit more detail. They didn’t just give a generic reply. A couple updates later, I noticed the routing algorithm felt sharper on similar roads. They’re clearly working on it.
Security & Privacy
When you connect the OBD dongle for premium, you’re obviously sending driving data. I checked their privacy policy before I subscribed. They’re pretty clear that the data is used to improve the service and for your personal trip history. You can delete your trip history from your account on their website, which I did once just to test it, and it worked. The app doesn’t feel spammy or ask for weird permissions. For a free app that needs your location to work, it feels as respectful as it can be. I’m comfortable with the trade-off for the functionality I get.
How does ABRP account for weather conditions like cold temperatures?
ABRP has a weather adjustment feature that automatically factors in outside temperature, wind, and elevation. For example, if you're driving in freezing conditions, the app will add extra charging stops to compensate for reduced battery range, which can be a lifesaver on winter road trips.
Can I plan a trip with multiple stops, like a hotel and a national park?
Yes, ABRP supports multiple waypoints so you can plan complex itineraries. Simply enter your starting point, destination, and any stops in between—like a restaurant or scenic overlook—and the app will calculate the most efficient charging strategy for the entire route.
Why does ABRP show so many numbers and sliders on the first screen?
The initial screen can look overwhelming because it offers detailed settings for your specific car model, battery percentage, charging networks, and driving speed. However, once you set up your car profile once, you usually just need to enter a destination and hit go—the complexity is there for fine-tuning when you want it.
What should I do if ABRP routes me to a broken charger?
While ABRP uses live data to avoid broken chargers, you can double-check by tapping on a suggested charger in the app to see recent user reports and status updates. If you encounter a broken unit, you can manually skip it and the app will recalculate your route with the next best option.
How does ABRP compare to my car's built-in navigation for EV trips?
Unlike most built-in systems, ABRP plans your entire trip around your specific car model, battery level, weather, and driving habits—not just a list of nearby chargers. It also lets you set arrival battery targets and preferred networks, which reduces stress and prevents the white-knuckle moments that car nav systems often cause.
