Value Charge fail (stopped at 12:01am)

[sb_in_nc]

Hello, I'm a few weeks into the FFE experience and last night I attempted to use the Value Charge profile (for the first time) which I had setup via the MFM website a couple weeks ago. My peak rate hours are 10am->9pm weekdays. Everything else is set to value charge.

I plugged in (120V) last night at 9:30pm, FFE started charging right away and I expected to awake to a nearly full charge. Instead, according to the MFM website, the charging stopped at 12:01am and showed that the car would begin charging again at 9:18pm. Strange.

Am I missing something?

 

[jmueller065]

Value charging doesn't work very well with the Level 1 EVSE included with the car. In most cases it calculates that it needs to start charging right away in order to be fully charged by the end-time programmed. Value charging with a Level 2 EVSE is pretty reliable.

I have also seen that where it wouldn't start charging until the next cycle (with an earlier version of the software--haven't seen this in a long time).

Another tip: Program the weekend times to be exactly the same as the weekday times: The car sometimes thinks its tomorrow, or yesterday which will mess with the charge times.

Tip #2: The GPS coordinates seem to be masked into rectangles. This means that, if you are on the border of a rectangle, you may have to setup multiple charge locations to value charge at home (I have 3 setup: Home, Home 2, and Home 3).

 

[sb_in_nc]

Ok, judging by your replies and the other forum posts out there, it sounds like Value Charge does not work as I expected. GPS shows the car at Home, time/date are correct. My problem was on a Tuesday night, and all my weekdays are identical (on-peak hours are 10am->9pm).

I expected to enter my on-peak hours on MFM, then when I plug the car in at home:

1) If off-peak, car begins charging immediately and stops charging when full or when on-peak hours begin
2) If on-peak, car doesn't start charging until off-peak and charges until full or on-peak hours begin

(I am not using Go Times.)

Are my expectations inconsistent with the intended design of the Value Charge system?

 

[unplugged]

Are my expectations inconsistent with the intended design of the Value Charge system?

You may have the numbers right, but the 120V charging unit could demonstrate problems. As mentioned above, charge times might overlap peak times and cause the FFE to get "confused." I think what is being suggested is that 120V units are not very consistent in the Value Charge mode. You may want to get a (relatively) inexpensive Level 2 unit starting around $450.