Tutorial: Electric Vehicle Data

Automotive

Data source: Curated dataset (EPA, manufacturer specs)

Overview

Electric Vehicle Data wraps Curated dataset (EPA, manufacturer specs), handling authentication, pagination, and rate limits for you. This tutorial covers all 8 tools with working code examples you can copy and run.

Prerequisites

Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup for a free API key (100 calls/day).
Choose your integration method: MCP protocol or REST API.

Connect via MCP

Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

MCP Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gnist-ev-data": {
      "url": "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
      "headers": {
        "Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools (8)

`get_ev`

Get detailed specifications for an electric vehicle. Returns range, battery capacity, charging specs, performance, and pricing.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`ev_id`	string	required	EV ID slug (e.g. tesla-model3-2024, bmw-i4-2024).

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_ev", "arguments": {"ev_id": "tesla-model3-2024"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'ev_id': 'tesla-model3-2024'}, 'name': 'get_ev'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`search_evs`

Search the electric vehicle database.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`query`	string	required	Search by make, model, or features.
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `20`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "search_evs", "arguments": {"query": "renewable energy"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'query': 'renewable energy'}, 'name': 'search_evs'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_evs_by_make`

List electric vehicles by manufacturer.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`make`	string	required	Manufacturer (e.g. Tesla, BMW, Hyundai).
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `50`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_evs_by_make", "arguments": {"make": "Tesla"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'make': 'Tesla'}, 'name': 'list_evs_by_make'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_evs_by_segment`

List electric vehicles by market segment.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`segment`	string	required	Market segment (Economy, Mid-range, Premium, Luxury, Performance).
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `50`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_evs_by_segment", "arguments": {"segment": "example"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'segment': 'example'}, 'name': 'list_evs_by_segment'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_evs_by_range`

List EVs by range, sorted from highest to lowest.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`min_range_km`	integer	optional	(default: `0`)
`limit`	integer	optional	(default: `20`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_evs_by_range", "arguments": {"min_range_km": 0}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'min_range_km': 0}, 'name': 'list_evs_by_range'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_ev_makes`

List all EV manufacturers in the database.

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_ev_makes", "arguments": {}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {}, 'name': 'get_ev_makes'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_ev_segments`

List all market segments in the database.

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_ev_segments", "arguments": {}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {}, 'name': 'get_ev_segments'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`report_feedback`

Report a bug, feature request, or general feedback for this data source. Use this when something doesn't work as expected, when you'd like a new feature, or when you have suggestions for improvement. Args: feedback: Describe the issue or suggestion. feedback_type: One of 'bug', 'feature_request', or 'general'.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`feedback`	string	required
`feedback_type`	string	optional	(default: `general`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "report_feedback", "arguments": {"feedback": "example"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/ev-data/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'feedback': 'example'}, 'name': 'report_feedback'}},
)
print(resp.json())

Common Patterns

Search then retrieve
Use search_evs to find items, then get_ev to get full details. This two-step pattern is common for exploring data before drilling down.

Pagination
Several tools support limit, offset, or page parameters. Start with small limits during development, then increase for production queries.

FAQ

What data does Electric Vehicle Data provide?

Electric vehicle database — range, battery, charging speed, performance for current EV models. It exposes 8 tools: get_ev, search_evs, list_evs_by_make, list_evs_by_segment, list_evs_by_range, get_ev_makes, get_ev_segments, report_feedback.

What do I need to get started?

A Gnist API key (free tier: 100 calls/day). Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup.

What format does the Electric Vehicle Data API return?

JSON, via either MCP protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0) or REST API.

Next Steps

Interactive Playground

Try tools in your browser — no setup required.

Full Reference

Complete docs for all 8 tools.

Getting Started with Electric Vehicle Data