# PlugShare Scraper: EV Charging Station Data (`getascraper/plugshare-scraper`) Actor

Extract EV charging station data from PlugShare by location: address, GPS, connectors, power, network, PlugScore, hours, cost, and reviews. Built-in rate-limit retry with backoff for reliable runs, plus scheduled monitoring for fleet, route-planning, and site-selection pipelines. No browser needed.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/getascraper/plugshare-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [GetAScraper](https://apify.com/getascraper) (community)
- **Categories:** Travel, Automation
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.31 / 1,000 charging stations

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## PlugShare Scraper: EV Charging Station Data

**Pull structured EV charging station data from PlugShare for any location, on demand or on a schedule.** This Actor reads PlugShare's station data API directly by geographic search area and returns clean JSON: address, GPS coordinates, connector types, charging power (kW), network, PlugScore, availability, hours, cost, and reviews. Built for EV route-planning tools, fleet and logistics operations, and real-estate or site-selection analysts who need charging infrastructure data without babysitting the PlugShare app or hand-copying map pins. No browser, no manual export.

### Why use this Actor

PlugShare is the most complete crowd-sourced charging station directory in the US, but there is no public self-serve data export. The handful of existing PlugShare scrapers on the Apify Store all currently carry zero reviews, and the leading one shows a real-world run-failure rate near 11% over 30 days, a pattern consistent with rate-limit responses being mistaken for valid (empty) results. This Actor was built to close that gap:

- **Handles PlugShare's rate limiting on purpose.** Requests back off exponentially and honor `Retry-After` when PlugShare throttles a run, instead of silently returning blank fields.
- **Fails loudly, not quietly.** If the upstream API stops authenticating requests, the run aborts with a clear error rather than finishing "successfully" with an empty dataset.
- **Built for recurring jobs, not just one-off pulls.** `sinceDate` and `onlyNewOrChanged` let you schedule this Actor and only pay attention to what changed: new stations, outages, or updated pricing and hours.

### How it works

The Actor reads PlugShare's station data API directly by center point and radius (not the public map's HTML pages, which don't carry station data). Give it one or more search areas, and it returns every station PlugShare reports nearby, optionally enriched with full per-station detail: outlet-level connector and power breakdown, cost, hours, phone, description, and reviews.

### Input

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| `searchAreas` | One or more `{ latitude, longitude, radiusKm, label }` center points. Use several smaller areas to cover a large region instead of one giant radius. |
| `maxItemsPerArea` | Cap on stations returned per search area. |
| `connectorTypes` | Keep only stations offering a matching connector type. |
| `fastChargersOnly` | Keep only DC fast-charging locations. |
| `networkIncludes` / `networkExcludes` | Allowlist or blocklist by network name (Tesla, EVgo, ChargePoint, etc). |
| `includeDetails` | Fetch each station's full detail record (hours, cost, phone, outlet breakdown). Off = fast overview pass. |
| `includeReviews` | Include user reviews. Off by default, since reviewer display names are personal data. |
| `sinceDate` | Only return stations updated since a given date. Built for scheduled monitoring runs. |
| `onlyNewOrChanged` | Persist per-station state across runs and only output what's new or changed. Pair with the Apify Scheduler. |
| `requestDelayMs` | Pacing between requests. Keep a sane default to avoid rate limiting. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Apify Proxy configuration. |

### Output

Each dataset item is one charging station location:

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `id`, `name`, `address` | Station identity and address |
| `latitude`, `longitude` | GPS coordinates |
| `plugScore` | PlugShare's own reliability/quality score |
| `connectorTypes`, `isFastCharger`, `maxKilowatts` | Connector and charging speed detail |
| `networkNames` | Charging network(s) |
| `stationCount`, `availableStationCount`, `inUseStationCount` | Live availability counts |
| `outlets` | Outlet-level connector/power/status breakdown (requires `includeDetails`) |
| `cost`, `costDescription`, `hours`, `phone`, `description` | Site details (requires `includeDetails`) |
| `totalReviews`, `reviews` | Review data (requires `includeDetails` + `includeReviews`) |
| `updatedAt`, `createdAt`, `scrapedAt` | Freshness timestamps |
| `plugshareUrl` | Link back to the PlugShare listing |

### Who uses this

- **EV route-planning tool builders** feeding live charging station coverage into a routing engine
- **Fleet and logistics operations** mapping charging infrastructure along delivery or transit corridors
- **Real-estate and site-selection analysts** evaluating EV charging density near a property or development
- **EV data aggregators** backfilling or cross-checking their own charging station datasets

### Tips

- Cover a metro area with several 10-25 km search areas rather than one large radius; PlugShare's API returns the nearest N stations per request, not a full-region dump.
- Schedule the Actor with `onlyNewOrChanged` enabled to build a lightweight change feed instead of re-downloading the same stations every run.
- Turn `includeDetails` off for a fast first pass over a large area, then re-run with it on for just the stations you care about.

### FAQ

**Does this need a PlugShare account?**
No. It reads publicly available station data, the same data shown on plugshare.com and in the PlugShare app.

**Can I search by city or state instead of coordinates?**
Provide the center latitude/longitude and a radius for the area you want. This gives more precise, controllable coverage than a city name.

**Why did my run fail instead of returning an empty dataset?**
By design. If PlugShare's API stops authenticating requests, the run aborts with a clear error instead of finishing with silently empty output, which is the failure mode this Actor was specifically built to avoid.

**How do I monitor a region for new or changed stations over time?**
Schedule this Actor to run on the same search areas with `onlyNewOrChanged` turned on. It only returns stations that are new or have changed since the last run.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchAreas` (type: `array`):

One or more center points to search around. Each area is a { latitude, longitude, radiusKm, label } object. Add multiple small areas to cover a large region instead of one giant radius (PlugShare's API returns the nearest N stations per request, not a full-region dump).

## `maxItemsPerArea` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of stations to return per search area (PlugShare's API caps results per request; use more, smaller areas to cover dense regions fully).

## `connectorTypes` (type: `array`):

Only keep stations offering at least one of these connector types (matched against PlugShare's reported connector list, case-insensitive substring match). Leave empty to keep all.

## `fastChargersOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Only keep locations PlugShare flags as DC fast chargers.

## `networkIncludes` (type: `array`):

Only keep stations whose network name contains one of these strings (e.g. "Tesla", "EVgo", "ChargePoint"). Case-insensitive. Leave empty to keep all networks.

## `networkExcludes` (type: `array`):

Drop stations whose network name contains one of these strings. Case-insensitive.

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Fetch each station's full detail record (hours, cost, phone, description, outlet-level connector/power breakdown). Adds one extra request per station. Turn off for a fast overview pass using only the nearby-search fields.

## `includeReviews` (type: `boolean`):

Include user reviews (rating, comment, connector used, reviewer display name). Off by default: review author display names are user-generated content and treated as personal data. Requires "Fetch full station details" to be on.

## `sinceDate` (type: `string`):

ISO date (e.g. 2026-08-01). Skip stations whose PlugShare updated\_at is older than this date. Useful for scheduled monitoring runs that only care about recent changes. Requires "Fetch full station details" to be on (updated\_at is only present on the detail record).

## `onlyNewOrChanged` (type: `boolean`):

Persist a per-station "last seen" stamp in the Actor's key-value store across runs, and only push a station to the dataset if it's new or its updated\_at (or scrape timestamp, if details are off) changed since the last run. Best used with a scheduled/recurring run on the same Actor + same default key-value store.

## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Pause between PlugShare API requests. Keep a reasonable delay to avoid tripping the API gateway's rate limiting.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

PlugShare added Cloudflare bot-management protection to its API after this Actor was first built. Confirmed live: the datacenter pool gets blocked on essentially every request, while residential passes intermittently. Residential is the default; this Actor already retries failed requests on a fresh session.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchAreas": [
    {
      "latitude": 37.7749,
      "longitude": -122.4194,
      "radiusKm": 25,
      "label": "San Francisco, CA"
    }
  ],
  "maxItemsPerArea": 100,
  "connectorTypes": [],
  "fastChargersOnly": false,
  "networkIncludes": [],
  "networkExcludes": [],
  "includeDetails": true,
  "includeReviews": false,
  "onlyNewOrChanged": false,
  "requestDelayMs": 300,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `stations` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchAreas": [
        {
            "latitude": 37.7749,
            "longitude": -122.4194,
            "radiusKm": 25,
            "label": "San Francisco, CA"
        }
    ],
    "connectorTypes": [],
    "networkIncludes": [],
    "networkExcludes": [],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ]
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("getascraper/plugshare-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "searchAreas": [{
            "latitude": 37.7749,
            "longitude": -122.4194,
            "radiusKm": 25,
            "label": "San Francisco, CA",
        }],
    "connectorTypes": [],
    "networkIncludes": [],
    "networkExcludes": [],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("getascraper/plugshare-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchAreas": [
    {
      "latitude": 37.7749,
      "longitude": -122.4194,
      "radiusKm": 25,
      "label": "San Francisco, CA"
    }
  ],
  "connectorTypes": [],
  "networkIncludes": [],
  "networkExcludes": [],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}' |
apify call getascraper/plugshare-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,getascraper/plugshare-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/iegpJoOXgbMKB6myS/builds/V4YbXIWgVC9uOaycp/openapi.json