Smart EVSE vs FordPass - What Do You Use For Scheduled Charging?

[MellowJohnny]

Just installed a ChargePoint Home Flex and now that the Home Flex can control charging at home, and given the relative flakiness of FordPass when it comes to charging schedules, I'm wondering if I should just move the schedule over to ChargePoint.

Anyone else make the switch? My only hesitation is the ChargePoint App has very simple charging rules - on/off for week-days & week-ends. My ToU plan is still reasonable at mid-peak, so I'd loose the flexibility I have with FordPass. Yes, FordPass is better. There, I said it.

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[JamieGeek]

All I have are simple EVSE's and I've always used the in-car charging schedule. It has worked 99.9% of the time and has never been an issue.

 

[RickMachE]

Been discussed often.

Point - the EVSE does not know the state of charge of your vehicle. In other words, it cannot "stop at 90%". It can of course go to 100%, or it can charge for a certain period of time resulting in a varying level of charge.

I have my EVSE set to the same off-peak hours as my car. The car has never made a single protest about it. Why set both?

- If the car hiccups and wants to charge to 100%, it will do it with off-peak rates.
- If I set a departure time during peak hours (remember it starts close to 90 minutes before departure), I have to consciously decide to override the EVSE in its app to do so.
- If I do a remote start during peak hours, it won't use wall current.
- If it decides to heat (or cool) the battery on its own, it won't use peak hours without me deciding to.

Note that my off-peak hours are 7PM - 11AM Mon-Fri, and all day on weekends, so it's rare to need to use power during peak hours.

I have a program with my utility company, with Ford, where they pay me $100 a year to "not charge" for 2-4 hour increments X times a month. These are almost always when I am done charging anyway, and can be overridden if necessary. They also have rare "CHARGE NOW" events, often during peak hours. By setting the EVSE to the off-peak hours, the car is prevented from using peak power (and, 99% of the time didn't need to charge anyway).

 

[MellowJohnny]

Been discussed often.
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Took me a while to ditch the Ford EVSE

 

[Vulnox]

I also have it on both. We have time of use billing and Chargepoint directly pulls from our electric company, so if the ToU time ever changes or anything, it will auto adjust. Ford tries to do it, but it doesn't seem as seemless as the Chargepoint.

At the same time I have it set to only charge to 80% in the car. Since the Chargepoint schedule just determines when the charger makes itself "Available", as the car has to request charging for it to start or stop, it works great for ensuring the car never starts charging too early but the car stops requesting power at 80%.

We haven't had our car as long as many on here, but this setup has been in place since September 2022 and haven't had a single issue so far. Charging has always stopped and started when it should.

Biggest issue someone may run into with an EVSE schedule is if you set departure times on your vehicle that conflict with a time you tell your EVSE to not allow power. So if you have a departure schedule for 4PM on weekdays but because of ToU your Chargepoint won't activate between 11am and 7pm, then the car won't get anything from the EVSE when it tries to precondition at 4PM.

 

[Sam2084]

Why use FordPass at all? Set it in the car once and then forget about it.

 

[astrorob]

i've had a chargepoint home for like 8 years and have always set the schedule in the EVSE across all my EVs. i have the MME set to charge anytime, up to 85% at the home location.

it's never failed to charge on schedule (EV2-A), and the only thing that happens with the MME is that fordpass complains that the car's "scheduled charge did not begin" shortly after i plug in. but every night at midnight the car starts charging with no problem.

 

[azerik]

My TOU isn't a big factor. My AC/EVSE/Pool all at the same time is. Down here in the 6 ring of hell from April to Nov my batteries are going to complain about it being over 100 degrees, so I need to be able to let them cool. I use the settings in the car and target the TOU window, which is really any time other than 2pm to 9pm. If they hickup an charge no biggie. At least with the WallConnector and some other app I can now see if my FFE is charging at all as it like to freak out in the car and --:-- everything, though it charges when plugged in. My wife doesn't realize that most of the time so she charges the thing on peak for a week or more till I drive it and see it. Then the old school Sync 13mm reboot happens.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

When I got my ChargePoint Flex I used it to control charging times because it seemed easier. In reality while it was fine for normal situations, it was a PITA for abnormal situations (e.g., I might need to charge during a time when the ChargePoint was set to not do so. I ended up just using FP to control it and it usually works flawlessly.

 

[astrorob]

When I got my ChargePoint Flex I used it to control charging times because it seemed easier. In reality while it was fine for normal situations, it was a PITA for abnormal situations (e.g., I might need to charge during a time when the ChargePoint was set to not do so. I ended up just using FP to control it and it usually works flawlessly.

if you plug in the car, then immediately unplug it and plug it in again within 7 seconds, that overrides the schedule in the chargepoint.

so you can go back to the chargepoint schedule if that works for you.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

if you plug in the car, then immediately unplug it and plug it in again within 7 seconds, that overrides the schedule in the chargepoint.

so you can go back to the chargepoint schedule if that works for you.

Thanks, but actually I'm very happy using FP instead. I have my electric rate plan entered into FP so it auto-sets charging times and if I want to charge to 100% or some other unusual thing like precondition the battery, it (usually) does the job.

 

[astrorob]

yeah for me it’s the (usually) thing. my chargepoint has never failed to charge any of my EVs and the mustang is full of weird bugs.

 

[Pioneer74]

I use an Emporia to control when our Mach-E charges. I've never had a problem.

I use the Ford Charge Station Pro on my Lightning. There are no time settings on the charger and have to use the truck to time charging. Since last October, I've woken up 3 times to the truck not having charged.

I wish I could control the FCSP like I can the Emporia. I don't trust Ford's software.

 

[eastern refugee]

I have both a charge point flex and 2 MME. We drive 2500 miles EACH EVERY MONTH. We alternate charging every day to 100%. After 2 years and 70,009 on both cars we have ZERO degradation. Ford pass app tells when one hits 100% and then switch to second car. Usually about 11PM. Zero set schedule. I found schedule versus non schedule made little difference in price. So I set to no schedule and manual on charger so it charges when plugged in.
Take the stress out of your life and enjoy it. The Pennie’s you save and I mean Pennie’s is not worth it. My cost monthly for 3000 miles is about $500 a month I think. With an ICE likely closer to $2000. I can live with the savings. My wife and I spend more time in our cars then our home. If it had pull outs and a bathroom and a 75 inch tv with a kitchen and refrigerator. We would just live in it permanently

 

[Jetson]

Can I ask a question about the Ford wall charger, which I have for my MME? When I set a fixed start time for charging, and set it to stop at 90% it does so without issue. But if I set it to charge as soon as it’s plugged in, and set it to stop at 90% it never does the latter. It always goes to 100%. How do I make it stop at 90% when set to charge as soon as I plug it in?

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