Max level for immediate charging

[sweetwagon]

Anybody know of a way to change the default 100% max charge level for immediate charging? Alternative suggestions that have same effect also welcome.

 

[sweetwagon]

BTW, for my specific case, i'd like to start charge immediately after plugging in and have it stop at 90% without having to monitor it manually.

 

[snAKes]

You can achieve this by enabling a delayed charging schedule and setting the minimum charge. If you don't use delayed charging, just enable it for a single date far in the future. In the delayed charging settings of the mobile app you can adjust "minimum battery charge level (percentage).

When the status shows "next departure time.." and you plug it in, then it will first charge to the minimum that you set.

I have mine set to 50% so my battery does not sit for long discharged and so I always had enough charge to drive to work even if delayed charging fails. You can set it in 10% increments.

 

[sweetwagon]

Thanks, did a quick test and looks like it'll work. Charge started right away even though bottom button was lit and seemed to have roughly correct time to charge on the dash.

Only thing is that the min charge looks like it can only be set from webpage. I didn't see a way to set it in the app.

 

[miimura]

I didn't see a way to set it in the app.

In the iPhone app it is under the Charging Locations detail settings.

 

[bobk2824]

I'm confused.

First of all, what the heck is "minimum battery charge level"?

On the web site, this is the explanation:

When your e-Golf is connected to a power source, your battery charge will be programmed not to fall below the level you set. The default setting is 100% charged. We recommend changing the default since frequent and consecutive charging of the high-voltage battery when the charge level is above 98% can also decrease the capacity of the high-voltage battery. Make sure the charge level is below 98% when you start the charging process.

When it is connected it won't fall below? When it is connected it will either be charging or not charging. The chances of it sitting there not charging and falling below some threshold would be pretty slim, I would think. It would have to sit there a very long time.

Does it mean that if it IS below that threshold, it starts charging right away even if delayed charging is enabled?

Or does it mean that it charges to that level and then stops. If it is connected and the charge level is over that threshold, it refuses to charge?

Despite the wording, I would have hoped it was the last one, except I have mine set to 90% and it certainly seems to start charging if I plug it in after it has fully charged.

If it really damages the battery charging it when it is 98% full, why does it do it? Who the heck cares about the 2%? I would think it should protect the battery in that case.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[sweetwagon]

I think this is what it means:
"if it IS below that threshold, it starts charging right away even if delayed charging is enabled"

 

[miimura]

I think this is what it means:
"if it IS below that threshold, it starts charging right away even if delayed charging is enabled"

I believe this is correct.

Example setting:
Minimum Battery Charge Level: 50%
Maximum Battery Charge Level: 90%

Scenario 1: SOC = 25%
At plug-in, the car will immediately charge from 25% to 50%. It will then calculate the remaining charge time for the remaining 50% to 90% charge. If there is extra time to complete this charging, then it will go to sleep until the calculated charge start time to finish at the departure time. Then it will charge from 50% to 90%.

Scenario 2: SOC = 60%
At plug-in, the car will calculate the charge start time based on the departure time and then go to sleep. When the charge start time arrives, it will charge from 60% to 90%.

Just for reference, the Minimum Battery Charge Level is set in the iPhone app from the Departure Time screen after touching the Gear Icon at the upper right. The Maximum Battery Charge Level is set under Charging Locations.

 

[bobk2824]

Ah. I'm starting to understand this now.

Okay, so if you want to charge to 90%, the idea is to use delayed charging to set the Minimum charge, but you have to be sure to unplug before the delayed charging starts.

In other words you need to change the settings each day if you want to do this.

BUT, in looking over the DON'Ts in the manual, there is no mention of not charging it to 100%, so I guess there is no need to do this. The only onerous ones seem to be:
- Don't charge if the battery is 98% or greater (seems like the car should take care of this itself)
- Don't do 2 consecutive DC charges. (this is BAD, assuming I ever get a DC charger in NJ to try. I see 4 DC charging stations going in the NY thruway which would allow me to get to the Berkshires in MA, but that would be 2, maybe even 3 DC charges in a row).

 

[bobk2824]

Oh, I guess I really didn't understand it. There is a separate "Maximum charge level". I didn't see that.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[miimura]

The solution to the OP's question: "Charge Immediately to 90%" should be able to be solved by setting the Minimum and Maximum both to 90%. If it continues on to 100%, then you just need to set the Maximum to 100%, but set the Departure time for a time that you will never actually be plugged in.

 

[cove3]

Just as a rat in a maze with no outlet can be driven insane, I feel car net's design accomplishes that. There used to be a comic on TV, Professor Irwin Corey, who would speak non stop, using legitimate words but strung together so as to make no sense whatsoever.

That in a nutshell is the car net user interface design

Ron