Algorithm specialist Route Monkey has been awarded £285,000 to help accelerate development of software that will combine the ability to plan the best routes for an EV, give turn-by-turn directions via a smartphone navigation app, and identify charging points en route.

Scheduled for launch in Q2 2017, the solution will deploy Trakm8’s T10 Micro telematics technology to provide real-time journey and battery data, straight to the driver’s smartphone. This will enable Route Monkey to accurately recalculate routes and plan in extra recharging time depending on journey conditions. 

The solution is aimed at consumers and smaller fleets, and builds on the success of the company’s EVOS solution for larger fleets, which uses complex advanced algorithms to calculate the impact of a wide range of factors on an EV’s range capabilities. These include payload, average speed, route topography, weather conditions and driver style.

Jim Watson, director of innovation and enterprise services at Scottish Enterprise, said: “This is an exciting idea that could accelerate take-up of EVs, by making them more cost-effective and even easier to use.

“Scotland is leading the way in encouraging the take up of EVs. After London, ChargePlace Scotland is the largest EV charging network in the UK; while Dundee is also home to the largest local authority EV fleet, as well as an all-electric taxi fleet.

“Innovative companies like Route Monkey play a key role in enabling Scotland to spearhead the switch to lower carbon transport – and in developing leading-edge technologies that we can export to the world.”