Preferred charge times ignored

[Bobbafett]

Hi All,
I have preferred charge times set on the FordPass app in order to take advantage of rebates from my utility provider. However, the FordPass app ignores these settings — "vehicle may charge outside of your preferred times due to other settings such as departure times..." Does anyone know how to prevent the app from ignoring set times? I don't use departure times and have "Use preferred charge settings" enabled. thanks!

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[AKgrampy]

The only other issue I have read is when you plug in and the car believes it can not reach your programmed charge level within the preferred charge window, in that case it will charge outside the preferred window. Normally a potential L1 charging issue or a narrow L2 window.

 

[bbulkow]

My app tells me it "MAY" charge outside preferred hours, every time, then *ACTUALLY OBEYS*.

I would put that "bug" near the top of the list of problems Ford should fix. Giving me a scary alert every time is just angry making. [ It's likely not a literal bug, although... maybe? ]

I don't have any idea why they are alerting. Are they saying they'll start at the right time, but the charge might not finish, and they'll let the charge run? I know its an 8kw charger and the preferred time spans 15 hours so it'll fill, but Ford doesn't know how much the charger will deliver or if it will mysteriously degrade...] Or are they saying that the car "may not" actually get notified? Or the car "may" start charging early? Or... what? What's the "MAY" ?

After the charge, the app doesn't tell you when charging happens, either. I can only tell it's working by bringing up the app while it is plugged in and verifying that it's doing the right thing (still "waiting to charge" until the designated moment). If I had a smarter charger, I could ask the charger, but if I had a smarter charger, I would probably have the charger set the hours )

Are you getting the alert, or are you actually getting out-of-preferred-hours charging?

PS. My electrical rate is 2x different between preferred and "peak", and since it's california, and a difference between really high and extortionate. It's enough money that I rather care to be in preferred hours]

 

[bbulkow]

If ford's listening, the answer should be like this.

1) for any charging location, you should be able to input the KWH of the charger, because usually you'll know. You should be able to control (from the car) the KWH of the session (let's say you're at a DC fast charger but you plan to have dinner and you'd like to strain your battery less ~ or maybe you're having dinner but the fast charger is by time so you're willing to get an alert and run out). Usually, charging locations are your home and you know the speed of the charger and it doesn't change, or you're at work and all the chargers are the same. Offering to set the KWH based on past history in that Destination would be a nice feature - and obviously it's optional.

2) For each charging session, record start time, end time, and the KWH graph (boring for L2, interesting for L3). Currently the app has the connected time and connected start, but not the charging start.

3) Once you have the likely KWH, you can fairly accurately state whether it is likely to hit the charge target in the preferred time. If it's not, there's a choice of start early, or run late, or partial charge. Alert only if unlikely to fit, and there is no choice of policy chosen. Make it clear this is an estimate . Give the user the option: both as a normal default for the location, and per-charge [ as it's likely to be rare ] I think the system only does "run late" right now, which is the most likely of those choices. I would set to "partial charge" most of the time.

4) Integrate the departure time with the charge control system. You should be able to input the preferred time (based on your rates), but also say you're planning on leaving for work at 8am, so it has to work out the charge schedule based on your proposed departure time. Apply all the logic in 3) if the departure time is early enough to not achieve charge.

5) Have some "default charge controls" that apply when you're not at a known destination.. Separating out L2 from L3 would be nice.

6) Have an easy "one time control" to set all these policies for "this" charging session. There is literally no way to do this now, because you have to have a destination, and a destination gets added to the UI only after you have a successful charging session. That is, you can plug in, charge for a minute, unplug, wait for the destination to show up... especially hilarious if you're in an underground parking garage with no signal. REALLY?

 

[Bobbafett]

My app tells me it "MAY" charge outside preferred hours, every time, then *ACTUALLY OBEYS*.

I would put that "bug" near the top of the list of problems Ford should fix. Giving me a scary alert every time is just angry making. [ It's likely not a literal bug, although... maybe? ]

I don't have any idea why they are alerting. Are they saying they'll start at the right time, but the charge might not finish, and they'll let the charge run? I know its an 8kw charger and the preferred time spans 15 hours so it'll fill, but Ford doesn't know how much the charger will deliver or if it will mysteriously degrade...] Or are they saying that the car "may not" actually get notified? Or the car "may" start charging early? Or... what? What's the "MAY" ?

After the charge, the app doesn't tell you when charging happens, either. I can only tell it's working by bringing up the app while it is plugged in and verifying that it's doing the right thing (still "waiting to charge" until the designated moment). If I had a smarter charger, I could ask the charger, but if I had a smarter charger, I would probably have the charger set the hours )

Are you getting the alert, or are you actually getting out-of-preferred-hours charging?

PS. My electrical rate is 2x different between preferred and "peak", and since it's california, and a difference between really high and extortionate. It's enough money that I rather care to be in preferred hours]

I'm getting out of preferred charging. Our utility company gives us a $25 monthly bonus if we don't charge between 2-6pm on weekdays. I charge at Level one, it works for my schedule and driving habits. Ford cost me my $25 bonus this month and now I have to manually turn charging on and off on weekdays.

 

[bbulkow]

I'm getting out of preferred charging. Our utility company gives us a $25 monthly bonus if we don't charge between 2-6pm on weekdays. I charge at Level one, it works for my schedule and driving habits. Ford cost me my $25 bonus this month and now I have to manually turn charging on and off on weekdays.

How to calculate. I'm driving 1200 miles per month (the american average), which is 350 kwh in round numbers around 3.3kw/mi, which is $90 in electrons at $0.25, and the price between I think it's 5p and 10p is 0.54, so keeping in the good zone is saving me a substantial amount per month. I also try to grab a few electrons at work when I can.

At that price of electrons, and gas at around $5.0 around here, with my CRV at about 32 mph, the high price about equals gas and the overnight price is about a 50% discount. Very round numbers. I'm doing less carbon into the atmosphere, but that's only between me and my guilt factor.

We don't have the "bonus cliff" though, that's amusing.

 

[AKgrampy]

I'm getting out of preferred charging. Our utility company gives us a $25 monthly bonus if we don't charge between 2-6pm on weekdays. I charge at Level one, it works for my schedule and driving habits. Ford cost me my $25 bonus this month and now I have to manually turn charging on and off on weekdays.

You could place a timer switch on your outlet so that you do not have to manually turn charging on and off.

 

[RickMachE]

I'm getting out of preferred charging. Our utility company gives us a $25 monthly bonus if we don't charge between 2-6pm on weekdays. I charge at Level one, it works for my schedule and driving habits. Ford cost me my $25 bonus this month and now I have to manually turn charging on and off on weekdays.

No you don't...

WiFi outlet

 

[DYohn]

Hi All,
I have preferred charge times set on the FordPass app in order to take advantage of rebates from my utility provider. However, the FordPass app ignores these settings — "vehicle may charge outside of your preferred times due to other settings such as departure times..." Does anyone know how to prevent the app from ignoring set times? I don't use departure times and have "Use preferred charge settings" enabled. thanks!

This seems to happen because of the speed of your charger. If the vehicle determines that your state of charge is low enough that your charge rate in the parked location cannot attain your target by the end of your charge window, then it will start early and go late. For me this was an issue for a short time after I first got the car and used the level 1 portable charger that came with it. Once I had the level 2 installed it was no longer an issue.

 

[GaryS]

I have also found the issue of the app not abiding by my time settings. Reading this string explains why it would not follow the time settings especially on a L1. The app should have the ability to have the user determine what is more important, the time setting (to keep from paying high rates) or capacity setting (80-90%). Hopefully Ford takes this into consideration in future updates. Let users control their costs not the app.

 

[Bobbafett]

Yes!

 

[Maquis]

I have also found the issue of the app not abiding by my time settings. Reading this string explains why it would not follow the time settings especially on a L1. The app should have the ability to have the user determine what is more important, the time setting (to keep from paying high rates) or capacity setting (80-90%). Hopefully Ford takes this into consideration in future updates. Let users control their costs not the app.

The app doesn’t control anything. It’s all done by the car. The app simply allows you to make the in-car settings remotely. If and when it works.

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