ABRP wishes and problems... - A Better Routeplanner

Hi!

I am a ABRP Premium user since - I guess 2020.

Some years before, I already used it without subscription with another account as I am driving electric cars since 2014. So - I would say, I am a quite experienced user with ABRP in connection only with IOS / iPhones.

From 2020 to 2025, we had a Tesla with a quite good navigation and did not use ABRP very often, only for holidays or larger trips. Since end of 2025, I have a smart #5 with a navigation, which has quite some „room for improvements“, which brought me back to ABRP on CarPlay. Since this summer, I am driving a Zero motorcycle and switches from my premium motorcycle navigation „Calimoto“ also to ABRP. As ABRP ist not a genuine motorcycle app, I have to rebuild many routes with dozens of way points to suit it to motorcycles demands, but at least it shows live SoC and live SoC at arrival of any waypoint.

By background is electrical engineer with many years of experience in management of software projects. Please allow me to give you some constructive input and ideas of how to make things even better… .

Pros - First praise:

Dynamic, automatic Re-Routing: When deviating from the planned route, I have never seen such a perfect re-routing, quick and reliable!
When I drive past a waypoint and did not really reach it, most system insist on navigating to this waypoint. ABRP skips it in a perfect way. Usually no need for manual deletion!
SoC-indication along the route on every waypoint - perfect!

Cons - Critics / questions with latest version:

Zoom Buttons
ABRP seems to fixed to a certain zoom level and does not allow another zoom level, without returning back to standard zoom level after a while.
Acceptable in general, but on many routes (alpine passes), I would appreciate to be able to zoom out one or two levels in certain areas to have a better overview of the road and turns coming ahead.
Especially when using in a car or motorcycle, swiping or zoom gestures are not always possible or the best solution. Zoom buttons (their use/view could be configurable by parameters) are very much appreciated.
Store appreciated zoom level
In a certain range the zoom level should be selectable permanent - except for junctions… .
Indication of own position gets lost when destination is reached
On my iPhone 17 pro, I had a behaviour for several times, which is strange. Sometimes, when I reached a waypoint or destination, the indication of my own position got lost. This made the search on the last meters for (very often well hidden small AC) chargers very complicated. Deleting the app an reinstallimg it helped - until next time, when the error occurs again.
Live-SoC lags
Both my Electric vehicles transmit their SoC to a server in time Intervall of several minutes. This creates a SoC „lag“ of 2-5%. I wonder, if this lag could not be levelled by calculation by ABRP. Take the mean value of the differential of the consumption of the last three values… . Ok - can „over-calculate“ on a stop (which ABRP cannot know) or by a flatter road (which ABRP should know and should be able to forecast…).
Yes - I know a OBD- dongle would be the better way, but these are not always available for every vehicle (like my Zero motorcycle). Would be great feature!
Contrast of map data
Many navigation systems have the same problem as ABRP has:
The route itself is displayed in a good contrast, fat and blue, but if you a seeking some details in the map like other small roads (outside of a forest, these a shown in light grey over light green background and bigger roads white (at least with a tiny light grey contrast line) over a light green background… . Ever tried to use this in sunny conditions with a reflecting screen - no way?
So - in my opinion, you are on the right path, but the contrasts of the different colours should be stronger. Ii know, t looks a bit „over-contrasted“ then, but it is by far better readable in sunlight.
AI interface / voice assistant
We are living in an AI age, or at least starting to live with AI.
I do not know ANY navigation, not even Google Maps (ok, some rudimentary commands...), which is able to be widely controlled by speech commands during navigation. Ok - some car navigation systems are trained to input and find a destination, but this is all?!
I need to add a waypoint during navigation, delete the next waypoint, add a refilling station, a charger on the route (and not besides the motorway or on the opposite lane). I want to re-navigate due a road contruction site just ahead of me.
Some pints require a higher level of intelligence, ok, but most systems, do not even have a simple interface to the operating systems, wich allows a voice assistant or AI to do things! Why is all this so old-fashioned?
I’ll give you an example: when I drive my smart #5 in smart pilot mode (level 2), it warns me, that there is sharp turn ahead and tells me to slow down - while the car is driving (supervided by me) on its own!!! Mayx car then races at full speed into the sharp turn and would crash. If on board systems have this information, why the hell do they not interact?
Favorite chargers
Every ABRP user has its favourite chargers after a while (for multiple reasons…) when driving routes more than once. In ABRP I can prefer / avoid such chargers or save these as bookmarks. Ok, good idea - but why can’t I see in the map, which chargers are bookmarked / favorites? By another colour, ring or sign, bigger symbol…? This would help planning a lot!
Waypoint numbers
Most other Systems, I know, number their waypoints, ABRP does not (internally it sure does!). If you are planning complexes tours, especially with crossing points, or on round trip or if a later part of the route comes near to the earlier part of the route, ABRP decides, where to put the waypoint in its list. Ok, can be done like this.
ABRP does this on rather straight routes very good! But only then… .
The names of the waypoints very often do not give a good guess, which waypoint it is on the list. So put numbers to the waypoints in the list and corresponding numbers in the map would be VERY helpful!
Waypoints in map selectable
Every waypoint in the map should have a number and be selectable. After selection the corresponding waypoint item in the list should be marked.
Waypoints in map editable
Waypoints should be selectable AND editable (long press / double click).
A Subjekt-menu should open with I.e. „delete“, „move/pan“, toggle „waypoint / gidance point“, set as start, set as destination…
New waypoint behaviour
New waypoints could have more options than guidance point / way point, i.e. set as starting point, set as new destination point (to the end of the list)
Neue Wegpunkte manuell ans Ende anfügen als extra Button
Scale
The map display lacks a scale or kms/miles indicator to have a guess how far a point is away, especially when zooming extremely important
List of stored routes
Every new route is being displayed at the END of the list!?
Did you ever use ABRP with a few hundred routes saved?
For every route, stored just seconds ago, I have to scroll to the very end of the list, to find / activate it? Strange. Put it on top… .
Compass / direction indication
This is not just useful for Pilots (like me), but for everybody.
When the maps rotated, it does not give any idea, which direction you are heading…
Revert route
For sure, I am not the first person to ask for this.
Everybody who travels has to back home somewhen. And quite often in the opposite direction on the same route. All other navigation systems I know, have a „revert route“-function or button. Why not ABRP?
Speed Camera Warner
Oh yes, I know, difficult subject. Anyway, many popular navigation apps have it. This is what, some people prefer just even these apps. I.e. Calimoto (very popular motorcycle app) warns everywhere reg. speed cameras, no matter what country. It is the users risk… .
Avoid motorways…
In Europe, we have countries with high tolls for using motorways, the other country does not use tolls at all. When living near the borders of such countries (I.e. at the border to Germany - Switzterland) it is very useful, to be able to tell ABRP, in which country it shall avoid motorways, and in which country it shall use motorways.
Add waypoint loop during navigation
Whenever I try to add a waypoint by tapping in the map in the IOS App during a running navigation, ABRP app asks me, whether to navigate there angle point navigation) or to add a waypoint to the running navigation. Whatever I select, there will be another Windows, asking the same again. And there is obviously no more way out - except wiping this window down, the „X“ and the back arrow do not work… .
Drag&Drop-Bug
When I have a long list of waypoints, and I want to move one of the first waypoints to the end, and I drag it down to end of the list, and the list scrolls down, then the waypoint gets lost on the way and will not be dropped at the end of the list.
Motorcycle-navigation / nice routes
It would worth a thought to enhance ABRP not just to find the shortest or fastest way, but the beautiest route! Even car drivers often prefer scenic routes…
Extra kgs
In former versions extra weight (payload) was selectable - not anymore. Why?
Wind
In former versions wind on the route was selectable - not anymore. Why?
Map freezing
Sometimes during navigation with the app, it happened, that the map was freezing. Audio commands still worked, but the output on the screen got stuck. This happened several times. Deleted the app, re-installed the app. Still happened. Did never happen in former versions

Ok, good for now, enough grumbled…

Kind regards

Roy Maihoefer

Hoege 8

D-88693 Deggenhausertal

+4915203608099