A service has been launched to reduce the charging burden for long-distance electric vehicle travel. Bright Energy Partners, which operates the Water fast-charging network for electric vehicles, said on Monday it has launched the highway charging station search and recommendation service Water Express in the Water app.

Water Express is a specialized service that covers only highway charging stations. Unlike in cities, it is difficult to leave the route to find a charging station on highways, and the distance to the next charging opportunity is long. The company designed the service after judging that drivers feel the biggest burden in planning charging on this stretch.

To use it, users tap an icon at the bottom of the app and enter a destination. Highway charging stations on the route are sorted by proximity, and users can see the distance to each station, the number of chargers and connector type on a single screen. Users can set filters such as connector types including DC Combo and NACS and charging speeds of 100 kW to 350 kW to narrow results to stations that meet the conditions. After selecting a station, the app links directly to an existing navigation app.

The charging stations shown are not limited to Water. Other companies' charging stations on the route are also displayed, and those that are convenient to use based on location, speed and number of chargers are tagged as "recommended". The criteria apply equally to Water and other companies' charging stations. If a Water charging station is selected, users can check speed by charger and current usage status in real time.

Dae-won Yoo (유대원), head of the electric vehicle charging business division at Bright Energy Partners, said EV drivers on highways do not need recommendations for a specific company's charging stations, but the most reasonable charging option on their route. Water Express is not a service that prioritizes exposure of Water charging stations, but one that makes the experience of highway charging itself more convenient, he said.