How do charging stations get added to the built-in navigation?

[matwlev]

I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but I like the built in navigation in my Mach E and choose to use it over Apple, Google, or whatever maps app is on my phone. Does anybody know how the built-in nav updates its list of public chargers? I assume it’s real time if you’re subscribed to connected services and nav, but where does the data come from? There is a new GM Energy (Pilot) charging station that just popped up near me and it hasn’t shown up in my cars nav yet, even though it is in the Ford app.

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[Aulander]

The maps are edited and updated by Here WeGo on the Garmin basis. Updates can be suggested to HERE Map Creator. Normally it takes weeks to be edited and the new maps are deployed by Ford every three months.

 

[Charge_Rob]

Also a fan of Connected Navigation here!

Ford app and Connected Navigation both rely on a database of chargers that Ford builds and maintains - the difference is how the data reaches the two apps.

For Connected Navigation, there's a version of the database that's written to the vehicle by the navigation provider at the time your vehicle is built. For vehicles with Connected Built-In Navigation and an expired Connected Navigation subscription, this is the old data you see. There's also another version of this database that is updated monthly by the navigation service provider and stored in their cloud and then retrieved and cached by the vehicle as you use nav. This is what the Connected part of Connected Navigation does and why the Connected Navigation subscription is required to keep this data up-to-date. For the Ford app, that database is updated in daily and obviously no subscription is required.

Once the charger database that is in the vehicle has been updated to include a charging location, if that location is in BlueOval Charge Network, Connected Navigation will fetch real-time pricing, reliability, and availability data when you open the location details in navigation.

 

[mdwinther35]

Also a fan of Connected Navigation here!

Ford app and Connected Navigation both rely on a database of chargers that Ford builds and maintains - the difference is how the data reaches the two apps.

For Connected Navigation, there's a version of the database that's written to the vehicle by the navigation provider at the time your vehicle is built. For vehicles with Connected Built-In Navigation and an expired Connected Navigation subscription, this is the old data you see. There's also another version of this database that is updated monthly by the navigation service provider and stored in their cloud and then retrieved and cached by the vehicle as you use nav. This is what the Connected part of Connected Navigation does and why the Connected Navigation subscription is required to keep this data up-to-date. For the Ford app, that database is updated in daily and obviously no subscription is required.

Once the charger database that is in the vehicle has been updated to include a charging location, if that location is in BlueOval Charge Network, Connected Navigation will fetch real-time pricing, reliability, and availability data when you open the location details in navigation.

Really helpful explanation, thanks! I assume support for superchargers (for pre '25 vehicles) will require an ota, then will follow the same update process that you describe? Saw an earlier post that said the lightning was getting that ota, any timing for mach e?

 

[rreddy3]

There's also another version of this database that is updated monthly by the navigation service provider and stored in their cloud and then retrieved and cached by the vehicle as you use nav.

Do you know whether the service provider monthy update occurs on a fixed schedule, is a rolling update as data is updated, or essentially random? Looking at it differently, to assure the most up to date connected navi, does a user need to turn on Ford navi daily even if the user has no need to plug in a destination?

 

[dan_meh]

Ford app and Connected Navigation both rely on a database of chargers that Ford builds and maintains - the difference is how the data reaches the two apps.

Great nugget of information. So if there is a mismatch between the Ford App and connected navigation, then we can assume the problem is between the single source of truth database and the endpoint?

For example, if I see Superchargers in the Ford app (I do) and not in my 2024 Connected Navigation (I don’t) then I can assume that the DB has the superchargers but Connected Navigation isn’t fetching them and caching them locally.

If however, I look for Applegreen chargers and see them in neither the App nor Connected Navigation, then I can safely assume that Applegreen hasn’t been added to the DB. The opposite COULD be true (in connected navigation bit not app) but I doubt Sync could beat my Ford app running on my phone.

It also sounds like “Added to the Blue Oval Network” is a bigger deal than plug and charge. It’s how Ford loads the DB.

The story about Superchargers, therefore, is that they are in the Single Source of Truth DB, but for 2024 and earlier, there’s some table structure that’s preventing them from caching. Like the local cache is missing a “needs adapter” flag? Or there’s some enumerated lookup problem? So you have to restructure before you can populate.

Adding rows locally seems to be no problem. New EA stations appear as do new EV Go stations.

 

[matwlev]

Does the vehicle check for updates monthly or more often? I guess I’m wondering if there’s a scenario where the car checks for an update the day before the database is updated by Ford and then there’s one month minus one day between the car getting the updated info.

 

[Charge_Rob]

Do you know whether the service provider monthy update occurs on a fixed schedule, is a rolling update as data is updated, or essentially random? Looking at it differently, to assure the most up to date connected navi, does a user need to turn on Ford navi daily even if the user has no need to plug in a destination?

The navigation provider starts the process once a month, but they need to validate data and develop the files that push to the vehicle, so it may not be exactly 30 days between when your vehicle receives each latest file. And no, it will automatically download the latest file from the navigation provider whenever you drive, as long as your Connected Navigation subscription is active.

 

[Charge_Rob]

Does the vehicle check for updates monthly or more often? I guess I’m wondering if there’s a scenario where the car checks for an update the day before the database is updated by Ford and then there’s one month minus one day between the car getting the updated info.

Connected Navigation updates separately and in the background from the vehicle over-the-air updates, they're not connected. Your vehicle will get the latest file from the navigation provider whenever that file is available, as long as your Connected Navigation subscription is active.

 

[Charge_Rob]

Great nugget of information. So if there is a mismatch between the Ford App and connected navigation, then we can assume the problem is between the single source of truth database and the endpoint?

For example, if I see Superchargers in the Ford app (I do) and not in my 2024 Connected Navigation (I don’t) then I can assume that the DB has the superchargers but Connected Navigation isn’t fetching them and caching them locally.

If however, I look for Applegreen chargers and see them in neither the App nor Connected Navigation, then I can safely assume that Applegreen hasn’t been added to the DB. The opposite COULD be true (in connected navigation bit not app) but I doubt Sync could beat my Ford app running on my phone.

It also sounds like “Added to the Blue Oval Network” is a bigger deal than plug and charge. It’s how Ford loads the DB.

The story about Superchargers, therefore, is that they are in the Single Source of Truth DB, but for 2024 and earlier, there’s some table structure that’s preventing them from caching. Like the local cache is missing a “needs adapter” flag? Or there’s some enumerated lookup problem? So you have to restructure before you can populate.

Adding rows locally seems to be no problem. New EA stations appear as do new EV Go stations.

Superchargers are an asterisk. Because the plug is different, a vehicle software update is required to display Superchargers. This is the update that has started to deploy to 2024MY F-150 Lightnings, and the version of software that 2025 Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning were built with. Without the update, Superchargers won't be displayed even though they are already part of that charger database - because your vehicle doesn't believe it is compatible with them. This is also how CHAdeMO chargers are prevented from being displayed, for example. No point in showing you a plug you can't use.

Ford app is refreshed daily, so it will always be more up-to-date than Connected Navigation in terms of locations, but both Ford app and Connected Navigation have access to the same real-time status for all chargers that they know and that are in-network.

Applegreen should be in both Ford app and Connected Navigation, just not if your "In Network" filters are on. If you can provide a specific Applegreen location you're not seeing, I'd be happy to see what is going on.

 

[dan_meh]

Superchargers are an asterisk. Because the plug is different, a vehicle software update is required to display Superchargers. This is the update that has started to deploy to 2024MY F-150 Lightnings, and the version of software that 2025 Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning were built with. Without the update, Superchargers won't be displayed even though they are already part of that charger database - because your vehicle doesn't believe it is compatible with them. This is also how CHAdeMO chargers are prevented from being displayed, for example. No point in showing you a plug you can't use.

Ford app is refreshed daily, so it will always be more up-to-date than Connected Navigation in terms of locations, but both Ford app and Connected Navigation have access to the same real-time status for all chargers that they know and that are in-network.

Applegreen should be in both Ford app and Connected Navigation, just not if your "In Network" filters are on. If you can provide a specific Applegreen location you're not seeing, I'd be happy to see what is going on.

Amazing. Thank you! This kind of knowledge goes a long way toward understanding why it takes a minute to update.

Now, when can we get that update? Do I need to bring wine or beer to someone to grease the wheels? Maybe a promise to shoot a commercial?

Applegreen in the Ford app: yep, that’s on me. I went to filters, clicked Advanced, and indeed the Blue Oval filter was selected.

Applegreen in the car app: yep, also a filter. That’s embarrassing

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