Ghost In The Machine

[csm7djs]

We have 2 EVs, Taycan is the OIG car and our ID3 isn't so we just charge that during the fixed cheap rate window using its in-car timer to coincide with that. Couldn't that type of thing work for you?

Tell me more about this setup - we also have the ID3 as well.

At the moment I have the wall charger setup to on a schedule to just unlock between the cheap rate and then we plugin whenever we need charge - charging only starts after 11:30pm and runs until 5:30.

I'd love to know your setup and I'll give it a try. Not even looked at timers on the ID3.

Sponsored

 

[Leccy61]

Tell me more about this setup - we also have the ID3 as well.

At the moment I have the wall charger setup to on a schedule to just unlock between the cheap rate and then we plugin whenever we need charge - charging only starts after 11:30pm and runs until 5:30.

I'd love to know your setup and I'll give it a try. Not even looked at timers on the ID3.

No problem, what works for us is the Taycan is set up in the Octopus app as the OIG device with no settings in the Taycan for OIG to conflict with. For the same reason, no settings on our pod point EVSE either, so that it's dumb/always on.

The VW infotainment and app for the ID3 isn't the most intuitive either! You may be completely au fait with their locations concept, but we have Home as the only named location. Within the the app go into Departure times, scroll down to Charging, tap on Home then use the cog wheel for the basic charging settings for Home location (which may not the same as the general charging settings). All we have set in there is maximum charge of 80%. Via the car's infotainment you can set up the charging timer(s). In our case the car is set for everyday 23:30-05:30.

You'd think all of this means that when the car is at the Home location it will use the 23:30-05:30 timer automatically, but it doesn't, you have to tell the car you want "preferred time" charging rather than "charge immediately" on the goodbye screen when leaving it. This is how we're doing it, works 100%. We tell the car we want preferred time charging when we use it for the last time that day and plug it in.

 

[tophamn]

No problem, what works for us is the Taycan is set up in the Octopus app as the OIG device with no settings in the Taycan for OIG to conflict with. For the same reason, no settings on our pod point EVSE either, so that it's dumb/always on.

The VW infotainment and app for the ID3 isn't the most intuitive either! You may be completely au fait with their locations concept, but we have Home as the only named location. Within the the app go into Departure times, scroll down to Charging, tap on Home then use the cog wheel for the basic charging settings for Home location (which may not the same as the general charging settings). All we have set in there is maximum charge of 80%. Via the car's infotainment you can set up the charging timer(s). In our case the car is set for everyday 23:30-05:30.

You'd think all of this means that when the car is at the Home location it will use the 23:30-05:30 timer automatically, but it doesn't, you have to tell the car you want "preferred time" charging rather than "charge immediately" on the goodbye screen when leaving it. This is how we're doing it, works 100%. We tell the car we want preferred time charging when we use it for the last time that day and plug it in.

Interesting - so I guess when you plug your ID3 in Octopus sets a charge timer in the Taycan - ?

 

[Leccy61]

Hmmm @topham, haven’t noticed it does and wouldn’t have thought so as Octopus won’t recognise the ID3, but I’ll check next time

 

[tophamn]

Hmmm @topham, haven’t noticed it does and wouldn’t have thought so as Octopus won’t recognise the ID3, but I’ll check next time

Yeah, I'm not sure either. I have Octopus control my EVSE so they know when I've plugged my car in - actually, it could be any car as they have no way to know. In your situation where Octopus is controlling the car I wonder how they know you've plugged it in and therefore need to set a timer - I doubt very much the car reports back to Octopus.

 

[Leccy61]

Yeah, I'm not sure either. I have Octopus control my EVSE so they know when I've plugged my car in - actually, it could be any car as they have no way to know. In your situation where Octopus is controlling the car I wonder how they know you've plugged it in and therefore need to set a timer - I doubt very much the car reports back to Octopus.

Hooked the ID3 up today to capitalise on a 2hr free power window. No timer was created in the Taycan’s app and the Taycan stayed “Unplugged” in the Octopus app.

Both those things change, plus a charging schedule is created in the Octopus app when the Taycan is plugged in. Clearly there are comms between Octopus and the Taycan, but not the ID.3 as that isn’t the device set up for IOG.

 

[Leccy61]

@pollybampton saw a notification on the Octopus app today that Intelligent Octopus Go now supports Andersen EV home chargers, gives you another option.

 

[D00notD00d]

Since allowing the Octopus App to ‘take back control’ I’ve had one successful charge to 80% and another where it ploughed on to 100% without stopping. As a first step I’ve turned off ‘smart charging’. Next will be removing the car as an Octopus device.

 

[Leccy61]

Since allowing the Octopus App to ‘take back control’ I’ve had one successful charge to 80% and another where it ploughed on to 100% without stopping. As a first step I’ve turned off ‘smart charging’. Next will be removing the car as an Octopus device.

Any gremlins I’ve had removing and adding the car back in has solved it. If you were to ask Octopus support they’d probably suggest that.

 

[prj]

Yeah, I'm not sure either. I have Octopus control my EVSE so they know when I've plugged my car in - actually, it could be any car as they have no way to know.

I will correct you here - there is absolutely a way to know, this is how plug & charge works.
You can run LIN and SWCAN over the Type 2 connection

See ISO 15118.

 

[D00notD00d]

Any gremlins I’ve had removing and adding the car back in has solved it. If you were to ask Octopus support they’d probably suggest that.

AKA turn it off and on again.
Last time I turned it off for 2 years.
I’d hope OIG would have improved since.

 

[Leccy61]

AKA turn it off and on again.
Last time I turned it off for 2 years.
I’d hope OIG would have improved since.

Not sure turn off/turn on is the same, removing and re-adding requires giving Octopus your Porsche account login credentials again to reconnect it. Had an issue earlier this week where smart charging didn’t want to start, removing and re-adding appears to have cleared it, smart charged to 80% this morning fine.

 

[csm7djs]

I just gave up and turned off the smart charging - I only do one long journey a week so can optimise my charging using the over night cheap electricity. If I find I need more than that, I might turning it back on.

But at the moment for the easiest life, I just need the wife to be able to plug her ID3 in and it work. Without her having to do anything other than just plug it in

 

[D00notD00d]

Not sure turn off/turn on is the same, removing and re-adding requires giving Octopus your Porsche account login credentials again to reconnect it. Had an issue earlier this week where smart charging didn’t want to start, removing and re-adding appears to have cleared it, smart charged to 80% this morning fine.

Resupplying Porsche credentials is part of the off and on process. One swallow doesn’t make a summer.
OIG and others are sold as beta products.
Many moving parts are involved, most of which are not under Octopus control, and there are many potential points of failure with immature error handling and no recovery or resilience. This may mean you wake up to find you don’t have sufficient charge to get where you need to go.
Ignore the hype. A timer plus a dumb supply are all you need.

 

[Leccy61]

Fully aware of all that, been a smart tariff user for as long as they’ve been available and used serveral EVs with them. The Taycan is the most clitchy with it, the Tesla I had the least. Just passing on what has worked for me, user forum. Timer and dumb supply doesn’t get cheaper rate charging outside the fixed window, so it’s not quite all I need (prefer).

Sponsored