Charging Station Locator: A React Native App

Introduction

This React Native application allows users to find nearby public charging stations for electric vehicles. Users can also select a station and notify a backend system of their intention to use it. This project uses the openchargemap.org API to fetch data about charging stations.

Installation & Testing

To run and test the app locally using Expo, follow these steps:

Prerequisites:

• Ensure you have Node.js installed.
• Install Expo CLI: npm install -g expo-cli
• For mobile testing, download the Expo Go app from the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store.

Setup Steps:

1. Clone the Repository and Install Dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/quiringk/ev-energy-take-home
cd ev-energy-take-home
npm install
npx expo start

Design Decisions

Why a map?

I considered both map and list views for displaying charging stations. Here are the reasons I chose a map view:

• Visual Appeal: Maps offer an intuitive and visually appealing way to find and locate charging stations.
• Dynamic Loading: Dragging the map to different locations automatically triggers the loading of charging stations centered around the new location. I thought this would be cool to show off for this assignment.

Future Enhancements

1. List View: In addition to the map view, implementing a list view sorted by distance could be beneficial. As the user moves, the list could auto-update, ensuring the nearest stations are always at the top.
2. Location Services: Integrating location services would make the app even more user-centric. This would allow users to find stations based on their current position. For the scope of this project, I started with a default location in Portland, my hometown. However, users have the flexibility to navigate to different locations by dragging the map.
3. API Key Private: The API key is currently hardcoded in the app. This is not ideal as it exposes the key to the public. A better approach would be to store the key in a .env file and use a library like react-native-config to access it.
4. Real API to Charge: When you click "Start Charging" there is an error, "Network request failed". In the future we would want to hook this up to a real API.

Conclusion & Next Steps

Although this project is an initial implementation, it lays the foundation for a comprehensive EV charging station locator app. Given more time, I'd integrate location services and introduce a list view for better user experience. The goal would be to create a holistic solution catering to users on the go, ensuring they find a charging station whenever they need one.