Legal Information

Short version: EV Charger Scout does not run servers that collect or store your personal data. Your location is only sent to third-party APIs to find nearby chargers. Everything you save or customize stays in your browser only, on your own device, and you can delete it at any time from Privacy Settings.

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how EV Charger Scout ("we", "us", "our") handles information when you use the EV Charger Scout web application and companion mobile apps. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our practices.

This policy applies to the EV Charger Scout web application and the companion iOS and Android apps, all of which share the same privacy principles described here — no personal data is collected or stored on servers we operate. Any significant change to data practices in any version of the app will be clearly disclosed before it takes effect.

2. Information We Collect

Information we do NOT collect

EV Charger Scout operates without a traditional backend that stores user data. We do not collect:

Your name, email address, phone number, or any contact information
Account credentials (there are no accounts)
Payment information (the service is free — no payments are ever required)
Precise GPS coordinates stored on any server
Browser fingerprints or persistent device identifiers
Usage analytics, pageview counts, or behavioral tracking
Advertising identifiers

Information that is processed transiently

When you use location-based features, your approximate geographic coordinates are transmitted to the following third-party APIs in order to retrieve nearby charging station data:

NREL Alt Fuel Stations API (developer.nlr.gov) — to retrieve U.S. charging stations
OpenChargeMap API — to retrieve global charging stations
TomTom EV Charging Availability API (api.tomtom.com) — only when you explicitly tap "Live Status" on a station card; your coordinates for that station are sent to TomTom to retrieve real-time port availability. This call is never made automatically.
Nominatim Geocoding API (nominatim.openstreetmap.org) — for address search typeahead and reverse geocoding
Geoapify Places API (api.geoapify.com) — for nearby amenity lookup (cafes, restaurants, pharmacies, and more); fetched only when you open the Amenities tab
TomTom Search API (api.tomtom.com/search) — used as automatic fallback for nearby amenity lookup if Geoapify is temporarily unavailable; fetched only on explicit user request
Open-Meteo API — for weather data at station locations

These requests are standard HTTPS API calls. Your coordinates are included in the request URL or parameters and are subject to each provider's own privacy policy. We do not store the results of these calls on any server we operate — they are used only to render the page in your browser.

Information stored locally on your device

EV Charger Scout stores the following data exclusively in your browser's local storage (on your device only):

Saved stations (key: ev_favorites) — station IDs and names you have bookmarked
Activity history (key: ev_activity) — log of station detail panels you have opened
Selected vehicle (key: ev_selected_vehicle) — your chosen EV from the vehicle database
Adapter preference (key: ev_ccs_adapter) — whether your Tesla has a CCS adapter enabled
Nudge preferences (keys: ev_ccs_nudge_never, ev_nacs_nudge_never) — permanent opt-out flags for adapter recommendation popups
Recent vehicles (key: ev_scout_recent_evs) — IDs of up to 5 recently used EVs, shown as quick-tap chips in the Quick Setup wizard
Filter preferences (keys: ev_filters, ev_filters_version) — your saved connector, power, and radius filter settings
Recent addresses (key: ev_recent_addresses) — addresses you have searched
Display preferences (keys: prefs_theme, prefs_dist, prefs_temp) — theme, distance unit, and temperature unit
Hint preferences (keys: ev_scout_hint_hidden, ev_scout_loc_hint_hidden) — whether you have permanently dismissed the Quick Setup or location permission hint banners
Mobile app promo banner (keys: evcs_app_promo_dismissed_until, evcs_app_promo_never) — snooze timestamp and permanent opt-out flag for the mobile app download banner shown on phone browsers
Welcome screen preference (key: evcs_welcome_seen) — flag indicating the first-launch welcome screen has been dismissed; prevents it from showing again
Local station notes (key: ev_station_reviews) — any personal notes or ratings you have saved for individual stations

This data never leaves your device and is never transmitted to any server we operate. It is accessible only to you and your browser. You can view, modify, or delete it at any time through your browser's developer tools or through the Privacy Settings panel accessible from the footer of this app.

3. Cookies & Tracking

EV Charger Scout does not set any cookies of its own. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, session cookies, or any form of cross-site tracking.

Third-party services used by the app (such as Esri ArcGIS Online for map tiles) may set their own cookies as part of standard HTTP caching behavior. These are outside our control and are governed by those providers' privacy policies.

4. Location Data

If you grant browser location permission, your device's GPS or network-based coordinates are used only to query the third-party APIs listed above. This is the minimum necessary to provide the core functionality of the app.

You may deny location permission at any time in your browser settings. If you do, you can still use the app by manually typing an address in the search bar. Location permission can be revoked at any time through your browser's site settings without affecting your other stored preferences.

We never share your location with advertisers, analytics providers, or any third party beyond the data-source APIs required to operate the app.

5. Children's Privacy

EV Charger Scout is not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use this application. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has used this service, please note that we do not collect or retain any personal data on our servers; any locally stored data can be cleared through your browser or our Privacy Settings panel.

For users in the European Union, the minimum age threshold is the higher of 16 years or the minimum age set by your EU member state under Article 8 of the GDPR.

6. International Data Transfers

When you use EV Charger Scout, your location coordinates are transmitted to third-party APIs that may be operated in the United States or other countries. By using the app and granting location permission, you consent to this transmission. These third-party APIs are subject to their own privacy policies and data transfer mechanisms.

For EU/EEA users: data transmitted to U.S.-based APIs (such as the NREL API, operated by the U.S. Department of Energy) occurs under your explicit consent as the lawful basis. We recommend reviewing each API provider's privacy policy for details on their data transfer safeguards.

7. Your Privacy Rights

EU / EEA General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

If you are in the EU or EEA, you have the following rights regarding your personal data under the GDPR:

Right of access — to know what data we hold about you
Right to rectification — to correct inaccurate data
Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) — to delete your data
Right to restriction of processing
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing
Right not to be subject to automated decision-making

Since EV Charger Scout stores all personal data locally in your browser, you can exercise all of these rights directly by clearing your browser's local storage or using the Privacy Settings panel in the app. No server-side request is necessary because we hold no personal data about you on any server.

If you have concerns about how your data is handled by the third-party API providers (NREL, OpenChargeMap, Nominatim/OpenStreetMap, Photon/Komoot, Geoapify, TomTom, Esri, Open-Meteo), please contact those providers directly or lodge a complaint with your national Data Protection Authority (DPA).

UK UK GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018

UK residents have equivalent rights under the UK GDPR. The same rights listed above apply. You may also contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you have concerns.

California California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA / CPRA)

California residents have the right to: know what personal information is collected; know whether personal information is sold or disclosed; opt out of the sale of personal information; access their personal information; and request deletion. EV Charger Scout does not sell personal information. Since we hold no personal data on servers we control, all deletion requests can be fulfilled through the Privacy Settings panel or your browser settings.

Canada PIPEDA (Canada)

Under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to challenge its accuracy. We collect only the minimum information needed (your location, temporarily, for API queries) and do not retain it on our servers.

Australia Privacy Act 1988 (Australia)

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to access and correct personal information we hold. As with other jurisdictions, all personal preferences data is stored only on your local device and can be deleted at any time.

Brazil Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD)

Brazilian users have rights under the LGPD including access, correction, anonymization, portability, and deletion of personal data. Your local data can be erased via Privacy Settings. Our lawful basis for processing location data is your consent.

8. Data Security

Since EV Charger Scout does not operate servers that store your personal data, traditional server-side security risks do not apply to this app. Data stored in your browser's local storage is as secure as your device and browser. We recommend:

Keeping your browser and operating system up to date
Not using EV Charger Scout on shared or public computers if you use the saved stations feature
Using your browser's private/incognito mode if you do not want any local data retained

9. Third-Party Privacy Policies

Your use of EV Charger Scout involves data being transmitted to third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies:

10. Future Changes to Privacy Practices

As EV Charger Scout evolves — including potential introduction of user accounts, analytics, or expanded features — our privacy practices may change. Any future version of the app that collects additional personal data will present a new or updated privacy policy before that data collection begins. Mobile applications share these same privacy principles; any significant changes to data practices will be clearly disclosed.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. We will indicate the "Last Updated" date at the bottom of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the App after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at support@evchargerscout.com. EU/EEA/UK users with unresolved complaints may contact their relevant Data Protection Authority.

Last updated: May 2026 · Effective date: May 1, 2026