How does the minimum % charge impact overall charging?

Hey ​@Celadoor,

 

Welcome to the community i’ve assigned an EV badge to your profile to show you’re part of our EV community! 

 

I want to clarify the importance of when to set a minimum charge setting for your vehicle. This feature is essential for preventing the battery from dropping below a user-defined level, especially if you need to ensure that there is enough power for emergencies or regular use.

 

When you set a minimum charge level, the vehicle will charge at the full rate until that level is reached. Once it hits the minimum, you can then take advantage of reduced charging rates.

 

Consider whether you truly need a minimum charge level. If you decide it's unnecessary, don’t set it. However, if you recognise its value for your situation, be aware that charging costs may increase if the battery falls below this level.

 

 

Thanks for this - so it sounds like having a min of 20% and a max of 80% - whilst on the premium plus monthly plan, may incur charges at the standard rate, if I plug in when the battery is under 20% and we’re at say a peak time with no available “cheap / green” energy??  

Can you also let me know what App the screenshot is from? I have the OVO Charge app and it doesn’t look anything like this.

Hey ​@Celadoor,

If you set your minimum charge level to 20%, any charge level between 0% and 20% will trigger an “urgent charge and would incur additional costs.” This means that since you’ve specified you don’t want the charge to dip below this level, it becomes a priority to boost the charge back up! If you decide that a minimum charge level isn’t for you, no worries, you can always manually start an urgent charge if you're in a hurry and need the car ready sooner. 

Some people really like having a minimum charge option, while others might not find it as helpful. It’s all about what works best for you! 

As for the screenshot, it’s a bit dated, but it was meant to show you the information behind the minimum charge limit. You can find the most up-to-date info in the app by following the steps below.

“Go to “Home” and then “edit smart schedule”
In schedule settings you can update your ready by time and edit your min and max battery capacity”
 

Hey ​@Celadoor,

 

Welcome to the community i’ve assigned an EV badge to your profile to show you’re part of our EV community! 

 

I want to clarify the importance of when to set a minimum charge setting for your vehicle. This feature is essential for preventing the battery from dropping below a user-defined level, especially if you need to ensure that there is enough power for emergencies or regular use.

 

When you set a minimum charge level, the vehicle will charge at the full rate until that level is reached. Once it hits the minimum, you can then take advantage of reduced charging rates.

 

Consider whether you truly need a minimum charge level. If you decide it's unnecessary, don’t set it. However, if you recognise its value for your situation, be aware that charging costs may increase if the battery falls below this level.

 

 

Ah, that makes more sense.  So the minimum charge setting doesn’t specify the lowest charge level I want to accept by the Ready Time, it’s an option to trigger an immediate urgent charge so that the car will always be at or above that level when plugged in.

That still doesn’t address why the car isn’t ready by the specified time in the morning (sometimes by 1-2%, sometimes by 15-20%), so I guess I’ll need to speak to the team on the number above to work that out?

Hey ​@woodstok2000, 

Feel free to give the Charge Anytime team a call or shoot them an email! They’re more than happy to look into any situations where your vehicle wasn't ready by the specified time. If you've any specific examples or details to share, that would be really helpful! They’ll check things out on their end for you. Can’t wait to hear back about how it goes!