Charge Assist Coming Soon?

[mkhuffman]

I've not seen that, but I'll (try to remember to) look for that next time I roadtrip (which isn't likely until next year)... Good to know that the Nav has it.

They buried it deep into the Nav menu, and it isn't very reliable, but it will tell you how many chargers are available at the station you are navigating to.

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[JohnFoxeSheets]

They buried it deep into the Nav menu, and it isn't very reliable, but it will tell you how many chargers are available at the station you are navigating to.

Not thrilled about "isn't very reliable" but then again, EA can't be trusted to accurately report status at its chargers, even though it provides accurate (albeit slightly delayed) charging status for each charging session on its app, so obviously they could provide correct aggregated status. So if the network can't get it right, hard to see how Ford can.....

 

[4sallypat]

Hope they fixed the charge rate issue I sent feedback ( photos & video) during testing.

When I used Charge Assist, EVGo station, the rate was at peak (full price).

I tested this when I stopped at 90%.

Then using my EVGo AutoCharge+ feature, I plugged her in without using Charge Assist.

2 different rates showed up - full rate on Ford's Charge Assist and discounted rate on EVGo at current low rate (no monthly subscription).

 

[ChasingCoral]

The EVSEs are the same. It's actually the included 14-50 pigtail that's different.

Are you sure? That seems like it would be really odd. I thought the difference was in the unit itself.

It is all true. Except Rick left out the part that the attendants will be staffed by Hooters servers. No mention of hot wings, but I assume they will be available for purchase.

However, the hot wings can only be ordered by the frunkload for 2021 Job 2 and all newer Mach Es. Only Job 1 Mach Es can order a mix of hot wings, shrimp cocktail and two bins of dipping sauce for the various sections of the frunk divider.

 

[generaltso]

Are you sure? That seems like it would be really odd. I thought the difference was in the unit itself.

Pretty sure. I guess you can test swapping them since you have both.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I'll bet no one in EA will reply in the affirmative ??

We can now. The NDA was lifted this afternoon.

Ok, now that it’s public, @Ford Motor Company two things:

1. Specific to Charge Assist, I get it you want to make us “safe”, but preventing use of a feature designed to help us find chargers while on the road to only times when the car is not in motion, makes the feature virtually useless.

The navigation to chargers is already in our Ford Navigation, so it really isn't needed in our Mach Es.

2. Specific to the Early Access program: tell us when the secret isn’t a secret anymore, please!

They did. This afternoon.

I think the purpose is primarily to start a charge on a charger after you have already arrived at the station. The navigation system does a good job of finding chargers, but it cannot start a charge. I used it while stopped in front of the pump I wanted to use: I selected the pump and initiated the charge. Then all I had to do is plug in. I appreciated eliminating the insecurity that comes from plug and charge, which doesn't always work.

It's actually very nice in that regard. I've used Charge Assist to start charging sessions on EVGo, ChargePoint, and Electrify America. All were immediately billed to my FordPass card that I use on my Blue Oval Charging Network account.

Do you prep a charger before you arrive? What if someone else gets to the charger first? Does that mean nobody can use it until you arrive? That will win friends and influence people.

You can. However, I don't know if someone else could charge on it. Remember that it is tied to the vehicle VIN. This is an interesting test I haven't tried and I don't know if anyone has.

Of course, you can already do this using your FordPass app on your phone. You can activate ANY in-network charger (primarily EA chargers), whether you are there or not. You can even use this to let someone charge their EV (any brand) at any EA charger. If you do this by accident, the charger will time out if the session isn't initiated by someone at the charger within a few minutes.

When we drove across country and back in our Lightning pulling our travel trailer, we would use the FordPass app to start the sessions using our Blue Oval Charge Network discount (this was a very short-lived opportunity that provided a year of Electrify American discounts equivalent to the Pass+ program for $50/year). Funny thing is the BOCN discount was only associated with our Mach E. We had to sign into the app on our phones as our Mach E to start the session or else we wouldn't get the discount when we plugged in our Lightning.

I was frustrated the first time I tried to use it, because I tried to use it when driving. It seems like it should work just like the other functions do: it should ask you if you are the passenger, and you click on "yes" and proceed to use it while driving.

Does it find chargers better than the navigation system does? I pick the charger I want using the nav, and it gives me the estimated charge at destination. I like that feature.

No, just use the regular Ford navigation to find the charger and navigate to it. With the recent update your Mach E will precondition before arrival if you navigate to it using the Ford nav.

Charge Assist also shows the charge rate available at the charger. It is supposed to show you the charging rate in real time on the sync screen but that hasn't been initiated yet. Coming soon.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Hope they fixed the charge rate issue I sent feedback ( photos & video) during testing.

When I used Charge Assist, EVGo station, the rate was at peak (full price).

I tested this when I stopped at 90%.

Then using my EVGo AutoCharge+ feature, I plugged her in without using Charge Assist.

2 different rates showed up - full rate on Ford's Charge Assist and discounted rate on EVGo at current low rate (no monthly subscription).

That's because Charge Assist will bill you at whatever rate is associated with your Blue Oval Charging Network. Because I have the Electrify America BOCN discount program from another trial, I get a discount at EA stations. However, I don't get my AutoCharge+ discount rate because that is through EVGo, not BOCN. The same would apply if you have EA's Pass+. That discount would not apply unless you initiate the charging session using Plug & Charge.

 

[4sallypat]

That's because Charge Assist will bill you at whatever rate is associated with your Blue Oval Charging Network. Because I have the Electrify America BOCN discount program from another trial, I get a discount at EA stations. However, I don't get my AutoCharge+ discount rate because that is through EVGo, not BOCN. The same would apply if you have EA's Pass+. That discount would not apply unless you initiate the charging session using Plug & Charge.

Ah that makes sense!

Guess Charge Assist is great if you are out travelling and need to charge, regardless of in network or not....

So for me around town locally, I'd just use the EVGo AutoCharge+ which I have been using.

EA is too difficult, congested, and downed towers - even with my 250kW free charge still in my account....

 

[david_quick]

A Dealer posted some promo info over in the Mach-E Facebook Group one of the things mentioned was "Charge Assist" this is what he posted. I did a search and didn't see any mention of this so I thought I would post it here and see if anyone else has heard of it.

September 4th is right around the corner.

Things I don’t get.

Why is this Charge assist not part of the route /Nav software?

Why doesn’t the next charge point pop up with availability info and an alternate?

Why all this trouble? Just license the Tesla route planner and be done with it. Or at least get a copy and duplicate it’s functionality.

And finally why tout Apple Maps?

I tried a route in Apple Maps from Seattle to Rapid City, SD a couple days ago. It came up with no charge points. All the others got them correct. I had to go in and manually add cities and search for chargers in those cities

 

[kltye]

Since we've been released from the EA NDA, here goes...

When I used it, I'd arrive at the charger and it would be ready to go. So I got that going for me, which is nice.

Which Way????
That said, my first comment to Ford was that this should have been built into the map/NAV system. As it stands, it gives you a list of nearby chargers, distance only, status, etc. and will prep the charger for when you get there. Great. BUT, a list with only distances is a crap shoot. There may be one that's 5.5 miles away and another that's 7 miles away. The one 5.5 miles away might seem to be the first choice, until you realize that it is in the opposite direction from your next stop or destination. If the one 7 miles away is on the way, that's the one I want.

They should put the results on a map when your not using the NAV, and integrate it with the NAV when you are using it so you can add a stop.

Yup, that's almost literally what I said to Ford as well. I have a feeling it's an HTML/browser-based app, which is idiotic, but I suspect they might be preparing to write this for Android Automotive as well - and a browser-based app is much easier to port between two OSes.

Also wtf do they disallow this app to be used while the car is in motion (along with the 360 cameras).

 

[kdonnel]

And finally why tout Apple Maps?

I tried a route in Apple Maps from Seattle to Rapid City, SD a couple days ago. It came up with no charge points. All the others got them correct. I had to go in and manually add cities and search for chargers in those cities

Have you connected Apple Maps to your car so that EV routing is enabled?

 

[david_quick]

Yes. I posted this before ios 17 was on my device. Today it worked.

 

[BillPitman]

I’d love this thread a lot more when it’s dead because we all have Charge Assist.

Yeah, well I don’t seem to have it?! Not on sync screen, where is it found? Bill P

 

[Just Lurking]

Yeah, well I don’t seem to have it?! Not on sync screen, where is it found? Bill P

Right between Charging and Tire Pressure on the "Apps" tab of the car screen.

If you don't have it, do you know the latest OTA you've received? Also note that the app is going to be renamed Public Charging soon.

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