[[email protected]]

I got my IPACE just a year ago and i have loved every minute of it... I remember reading the forums (before i even got my car) and discovering about the problems with timed charging and the car being too smart for it's own good! At the time my elec tariff was so good i didn't need it. Now however, i need to take advantage of the cheap electricity from Octopus Go in the UK (0:30 - 4:30).

So, i've set about trying to find a solution. Have considered all the possible solutions discussed in the forums and more and i've come to the conclusion that none of them are really workable for me (modifying the EVSE with a relay in the control line, putting in a timer on the EVSE supply, using a Ohme cable etc).

I've decided and am pretty sure that there is a software based solution to this problem and have been doing some Proof Of Concepts with my car and it seems to work. Going to do some more tests but ultimately i think i have a solution bit i'm being cautious as if it's one thing i've discovered with the IPACE is that it is unpredictable! I'll let you know when i've done more tests but it's looking good so far.

I'm developing this for my own use but i'm thinking of creating a web application version of it (and possibly a later an android/iphone app) if there is still call for such a solution.

Also, before i spend too much time developing this solution let me know if someone else has already done this! I'd hate to be reinventing the wheel!

Thanks

Kevin Palmer

 

[sferrari]

Have you looked at the MyPace app? Third party app for I-Pace on iOS I've only played with it a little, but under "Manage Charging" it seems to allow for scheduled charging, perhaps in a way similar to what you're doing.

 

[Timbo]

I am not sure what the problem you are referring to is exactly. I have my iPace set up so that it only charges between 7:30pm and 6:00 am. It is also set to precondition for an 8:00 departure. If I plug in before then, a blue alert pops up on the dash indicating that there is a timed charge period set and I can hear the relay of my EVSE click off and then it starts up after 7:30 That night.

Does your vehicle not work that way? From what I have read I think you have to also schedule a departure time if you want your car to use the timed charging feature, although I haven’t really been paying attention to those threads as mine seems to work.

 

[[email protected]]

Have you looked at the MyPace app? Third party app for I-Pace on iOS I've only played with it a little, but under "Manage Charging" it seems to allow for scheduled charging, perhaps in a way similar to what you're doing.

Thanks, I had heard that it has this functionality but I'm on Android and not Apple.

 

[[email protected]]

I am not sure what the problem you are referring to is exactly. I have my iPace set up so that it only charges between 7:30pm and 6:00 am. It is also set to precondition for an 8:00 departure. If I plug in before then, a blue alert pops up on the dash indicating that there is a timed charge period set and I can hear the relay of my EVSE click off and then it starts up after 7:30 That night.

Does your vehicle not work that way? From what I have read I think you have to also schedule a departure time if you want your car to use the timed charging feature, although I haven’t really been paying attention to those threads as mine seems to work.

The problem I'm referring to is the fact that the IPACE starts charging early if it doesn't think there's enough time to charge to full before the departure time. It also doesn't seem to stop charging when the timed window ends. It's fine if you just want it to use it as preferred charging time but if you ONLY want it to charge in the cheap time then it doesn't seem to work as expected.

I. E. I'm quite happy for it to charge from 50% to 80% and stop when the cheap electricity finishes.

 

[Timbo]

I get it now. That makes sense.

 

[Scufflegrit]

Yes. The car prioritizes being full at departure time over the charge window. It would be nice if the car gave you the option of overriding this or maybe an option to set the minimum charge percent at departure.

Instead of trying to charge the car incompletely, another alternative is to just not let the car get below what you can charge in 4 hours. If you plug it in at 70% instead of 50% then maybe it finishes within your window. If you're going to be limited to 4 hours you'll have to charge more often anyway.

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah, i think it would definately be nice to be able to 'only charge between hh;mm and hh:mm'.

Also, in the UK here we've got some new 'agile' smart tariffs popping up. Octopus Agile is one of them where the price changes throughout the day (but the rates are announced the previous day). Using the Agile API and InControl i am looking at creating an app that only charges when the electricity is at it's cheapest up to a specified SoC (so it would prioritise the cheapest 30 min block first etc).

 

[Ken]

My ChargePoint Home Flex totally solves any timed charging issues for me. My energy provider has discounts from 11pm to 6am. So I always charge between those hours via the program I set up with the charger’s software. It’s worked perfectly 100% of the time. I never bother with the car’s program.

 

[JaggaWatt]

One person made the following suggestions that worked for me:

Set your car for preconditioning say sometime in the morning after the lower rates.
Set it as a recurring charge say every Monday at 8am so you don't have to re-do this step.
Set the car then for timed charging. Do both of these in the car.
When you exit, the screen will tell you that you have a secluded charging coming up and ask if you ant to keep or override.
Set your charegepoint to the same schedule.

Ohers say just go with only the chargepoint but I'm not sure if the I-pace would be stuck in the initializing mode.

 

[rcomeau]

Don't most chargers have apps that provide this functionality? My JuiceBox app does, and I assume that is the first feature one would add to a charger app.

 

[Dennis C]

I've also got the ChargePoint Flex, but I don't use any of the timed charging features. Xcel Energy in Colorado has an optional plan that allows for less expensive charging in off-peak hours. Unfortunately, the up charge during peak hours is ridiculous; it's more than double the flat rate. It made more sense to me to keep a flat rate plan. I don't think about charging times or issues at all. When the battery is low, I charge the car and I don't worry about it. This works well for me.

 

[jxwinks]

So here in Southern California, my Super Off-Peak charging time is 0000-0600 daily and 0000-1400 on weekends. I had to set my car to a departure time of 0025 so the car would pre-condition at 2355. This wakes the car up so it will talk to my ChargePoint. If not, then the ChargePoint doesn't wake up the car to charge. I tried setting a Preferred Charging Time in the car, but it still wouldn't wake up to charge at Midnight.

Just this past month it wouldn't charge automatically at all so I took it in for repair. They made some battery changes and system changes but I haven't tried using just the ChargePoint to charge the vehicle starting at midnight. Maybe I'll try just plugging it in without a Departure time next to see if the CP does charge the car.

 

[whitedug]

There is one solution....take it out of the control of the car
Install a timer on the electrical circuit your home. I have one on my 2kw Charger on the power point but if you wanted to, you could install one in line with the 32A circuit via a electrician.

 

[rcomeau]

There is one solution....take it out of the control of the car
Install a timer on the electrical circuit your home. I have one on my 2kw Charger on the power point but if you wanted to, you could install one in line with the 32A circuit via a electrician.

That might be harder here in NA as 240v is more specialized than it is in Europe. Does the Chargepoint not support timed charging (ignore if that was covered above)?

 

[Gelbkreutz]

Yeah, i think it would definately be nice to be able to 'only charge between hh;mm and hh:mm'.

You could perhaps met the charger manage the timing. My JuiceBox Will do that.

 

[rcomeau]

The Chargepoint software seems to support this. Dos your charger not work with their software?

 

[[email protected]]

Unfortunately the Pod Point charger here in the UK doesn't allow for that although I understand that this is due to be changed soon.

I did surprise me that a charger that considers itself a smart charger doesn't have this option.

 

[[email protected]]

I'm still working on software for reliable timed charging however it appears that the API is currently not reliable enough... sometimes the 'Stop Charging' command fails and continues charging and trying again just says it's already in that state. I'm working on figuring out the logic as we speak... It's a real pain though.

My prototype has been correctly charging my car for 4 hours every night at the correct times but last night it ignored my commands again. What's more once full it still shows as 'Charging' 100% but in charging state. I'm not sure i'm ever going to fully figure out the logic in the IPACE software!

 

[jxwinks]

It seems that the I-Pace software has been updated. When my system failed completely Jaguar updated some software AND replaced some components. I cannot tell exactly what was replaced beyond some batteries, but the system now works properly.

When I plug in my cable the car goes into an "initializing" state and when the ChargePoint goes active at Midnight, the car charges either until full or until the ChargePoint stops sending electricity as it has a schedule for Super Off-Peak charging only.

I no longer need to schedule a Departure time for the car to wake up and recognize that the charging cable is inserted.