Google’s AI-powered Gemini assistant has begun appearing in Android Auto, and new testing shows it now understands complex electric-vehicle routing requests that left the old Google Assistant speechless—right up until it has to recommend a CHAdeMO fast charger.

Tom’s Guide put Gemini through its paces in a Nissan Leaf, a car that relies exclusively on the CHAdeMO standard for rapid charging. The results, published this week, reveal a sharp split that every EV owner using Android Auto needs to know about.

Smarter Conversations Behind the Wheel

The most striking change is how Gemini parses multi-part navigation queries. In the test, a driver could say something like, “Navigate to my destination, add a charging stop along the way, and find a coffee shop near the charger,” and Gemini would stitch all three tasks into a single route without fumbling. Google Assistant, by contrast, often needed separate, simpler instructions or simply couldn’t chain requests.

For EV drivers, that’s a significant quality-of-life upgrade. Instead of pulling over to poke at the phone or painstakingly dictating each waypoint, you can speak naturally and let Gemini handle the planning. The assistant also factored in estimated range and charger availability more fluidly, though how deeply it integrates with real-time vehicle data is still limited by what the car exposes to Android Auto.

But the glow fades when the charger plug shape matters. A Nissan Leaf’s CHAdeMO port is physically different from the now-ubiquitous CCS connector, and using the wrong charger leaves you stranded. When asked specifically for CHAdeMO stations, Gemini routinely suggested CCS locations instead. In some cases it pointed to Tesla Superchargers—which, despite recent openings through adapters, still aren’t a seamless match for every vehicle. The old Google Assistant had the same blind spot, but the expectation was that a next-generation AI might finally recognize the distinction. It didn’t.

What This Means for Windows Users (Who Also Drive)

Here’s where the story crosses into Windows territory. A huge portion of Windows users carry an Android phone, and many tap Android Auto daily through wireless adapters or cables in their cars. When that car is an EV, the assistant on the screen becomes a critical tool, not just a convenience. Microsoft’s own efforts with Phone Link bridge the phone and PC, but they haven’t yet placed a Copilot inside the dashboard the way Google is doing with Gemini.

For most EV drivers, the improved routing smarts are genuinely helpful. If you own a Chevy Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, or any of the dozens of models using CCS, Gemini’s new capabilities should make trip planning smoother. You can fire off a single, conversational request and get a coherent route with charging stops baked in.

If you drive—or still drive—a CHAdeMO-equipped car like the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, or an older Kia Soul EV, then Gemini’s charging guidance is unreliable. Blindly following its suggestions could route you to incompatible plugs, wasting time and range. Until Google trains the model on charging connector types, you’ll need to verify every recommendation against a dedicated EV app or the car’s own navigation.

IT administrators managing fleets that include older electric vehicles will want to flag this. Drivers who rely on company-issued Android devices for navigation could end up at the wrong charger, impacting logistics and employee satisfaction.

How We Got to Charger Confusion

Google’s push to replace Assistant with Gemini across every surface started in 2024. Phones got it first, then smart displays, and now cars. The motivation is clear: large language models can parse loose, natural human phrasing better than the old conversational patterns. In theory, that makes them ideal for in-car use, where distractions are dangerous and you can’t afford to repeat yourself three times.

Android Auto has historically lagged behind the phone in assistant updates because the automotive environment is a thicket of certification, safety regulations, and wildly varying hardware. The assistant runs on the phone, not the car head unit, so Google can roll out server-side changes without waiting for a vehicle software update. That’s how Gemini started showing up for Android Auto users in late 2024, initially as an opt-in in the Google app settings.

EV routing entered Android Auto years ago as part of Google Maps. It could plan charging stops based on battery state of charge, but only if the car shared that data—something many automakers restrict or never implemented. The assistant layer added voice control on top of that routing, yet it never truly understood the nuances of charger types. CHAdeMO’s decline in North America and Europe made it an edge case that apparently never got the training data love from Google’s models.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has been quietly expanding its automotive footprint through Azure and the Connected Vehicle Platform. But its consumer-facing assistant in the car is nonexistent, giving Google a near-monopoly on voice-driven car interactions for the Android world. Apple’s Siri in CarPlay remains a competitor, but integration with third-party navigation apps is still fledgling. This leaves Android users—and by extension many Windows users—dependent on Google’s pace of improvement.

What to Do Right Now

The practical steps come down to knowing your car’s hardware.

If your EV uses CCS (the majority):
- Enable Gemini for Android Auto through the Google app on your phone (look for “Digital assistants from Google” in Settings).
- When planning a trip, try a conversational request like “Drive to X, add charging stops, and find lunch near the second charger.”
- Check that the suggested chargers are CCS (they should be, as this is the dominant North American standard).
- Keep a backup app—PlugShare, A Better Route Planner, or the car’s own nav—for peace of mind on long routes.

If your EV uses CHAdeMO (Nissan Leaf, older models):
- Do not rely on Gemini for charger selection, at least not yet. After it generates a route, cross-reference each charging stop in a dedicated app to confirm the plug type.
- Use voice commands only for basic navigation and media; route planning is safer with a manual check.
- Report incorrect recommendations to Google via the feedback button in Maps or Android Auto. Collective noise might finally get CHAdeMO added to the model’s training data.

For IT pros managing company EVs:
- Brief drivers on the limitation. A short notice in your fleet guidance can prevent a roadside headache.
- Consider whether an MDM policy restricting Android Auto voice routing makes sense if your fleet is heavily CHAdeMO-dependent.
- Keep an eye on Google’s Workspace updates for any administrative controls over assistant features in Android Enterprise.

Outlook: The Road to a Truly Smart Co-Pilot

Google will almost certainly address the CHAdeMO gap. As Gemini models evolve and ingest more location data, distinguishing plug types becomes a manageable classification problem. The bigger question is whether automakers will open up deeper vehicle integration—real-time battery pack temperature, charging curve preferences, and in-dash HUD projection—that would let an AI assistant plan routes as well as a trained human. Tesla has shown what tight integration can do, but third-party assistants are still kept at arm’s length by most legacy car brands.

Microsoft’s Copilot might eventually find a spot on the dashboard through partnerships with carmakers using Windows for IoT or cloud services. For now, the road belongs to Google, and Gemini’s arrival is a net positive for anyone who talks to their car. Just make sure you know what plug your car needs before you say “Hey Google, find me a charger.”