The problem Volt Junction solves

Electric Vehicle Route Planner! What Can People Use It For?
The Electric Vehicle Route Planner is a comprehensive tool designed to simplify the journey planning process for electric vehicle (EV) owners. Here's how it can benefit users:

1. Efficient Route Planning: Users can input their current battery percentage, start and end locations, EV range, and battery capacity. The system then calculates the optimal route considering charging station locations, minimizing the number of stops required and ensuring that the destination is reachable within the available range.
2. Seamless Navigation: With API integration for route planning and visualization, users can seamlessly navigate through the interface, accessing real-time data on charging stations along their route.
3. User-Friendly Interface: The frontend interface offers an intuitive design, reducing user input requirements and making the planning process hassle-free. Users can easily input their parameters and receive clear outputs without any technical complexities.
4. Access to Charging Station Information: The system retrieves and displays detailed information about charging stations, including connector types, capacities, availability, and operational status. This enables users to make informed decisions about where to charge their EVs based on their specific requirements.
5. Database Management: By utilizing a MySQL database for storing and retrieving charging station details, the system ensures data accuracy and reliability, providing users with up-to-date information to plan their journeys effectively.
6. Handling Edge Cases: The system addresses scenarios where suitable charging stations are unavailable or the destination remains out of range. It provides alternative routes or suggests charging strategies to overcome such challenges, ensuring a smooth and stress-free travel experience for EV owners.

Challenges we ran into

Challenges We Faced During Development:
During the development of our Electric Vehicle Route Planner, we encountered several hurdles, with one of the most significant being our lack of familiarity with mapping APIs. Here's how we tackled this challenge:
Unfamiliarity with Mapping APIs: Initially, we struggled to find a suitable mapping API that met our project requirements. Without prior experience in utilizing such APIs, understanding their functionalities and integrations posed a significant challenge.
Solution: We dedicated time to thoroughly study various mapping APIs available, comparing their features, documentation, and ease of integration. This involved researching APIs like Google Maps API, Mapbox, and Here Maps extensively. By delving into their documentation and experimenting with sample code, we gained a better understanding of how each API worked and which one best suited our project needs.
Complexity of API Integration: Integrating the selected mapping API into our project proved to be more complex than anticipated. Understanding the API endpoints, authentication methods, and handling responses required a steep learning curve.
Solution: We broke down the integration process into smaller, manageable tasks and tackled them systematically. This involved consulting the API documentation frequently, seeking help from online forums and communities, and experimenting with small-scale implementations. By incrementally building and testing each integration component, we gradually overcame the complexities associated with API integration.