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Really want "Charge Window" settings

Discussion in 'Prime Plug-in Charging' started by abensky, Nov 12, 2017.

  1. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    I switched to an electric rate plan which favors charging from 9pm to 5am M-F and any time on weekends. It would be great if Toyota would upgrade the charge schedule software to allow for a "Charging window" that I could set and forget. Then I could always plug it when I get home and it would always charge during the window. Even If I get home in the middle of the window it would charge immediately.

    Currently I set the start time charge schedule for 9pm M-F, but this has a couple down sides
    1. If I get home at 9:10 and plug in it won't charge without manually enabling "charge now"
    2. It will never charge on weekends without enabling "charge now".

    With an "ok to charge" window, it would always do the right thing at home and I would only ever have to use "charge now" when charging away from home, which is rare.

    How can we get such feedback to Toyota?
     
  2. CraigM

    CraigM Active Member

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    I’m a new (3 day) owner and haven’t played with the timers yet, but have looked over the owner’s manual around page 160.

    Why won’t it charge on weekends? The manual seems to indicate you can set different charging parameters for each day. Not true, or I don’t understand?

    I might just set the departure time to 5am so that you can plug in anytime the night before?

    I’m playing with one item at a time, guess I’ll look at the charging schedule next :)

    Craig
     
  3. AnneLW

    AnneLW Member

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    You can program "charge for departure" at a pre-set time, then plug it in anytime before then: mine seems to finish about 1/2 hour before that time.
     
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  4. AnneLW

    AnneLW Member

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    I just set it for every day; if I don't use the car on a given day I just don't plug it in that night because it's already charged.
     
  5. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    Craig, I never said you can't charge on weekends. Ideally on weekends I want it to charge whenever I plug it in because the rates are always low, however if there is any schedule set (ie the M-F schedule) it will not charge when you plug it in unless you remember to select "charge now", so setting a weekday schedule causes it to require that extra step to charge on weekends.

    I worked around this by setting 2 schedules, a start schedule at 9pm every day and a departure schedule for 5am every day. This covers most usage, but if I want it to charge sooner on a weekend I still have to remember to press the "charge now" button. It would still be easier to have a "charge any time during this window" setting.
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    as to your original question, sign up at toyota owners website, and see if if there is a contact point. or, you can call them, but don't hold your breath. toyota is not the most customer responsive company in the world.
     
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Perhaps the more appropriate request to add a "Charge Now" button to the charging port so you can plug in and press the button to charge immediately.
     
  8. CraigM

    CraigM Active Member

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    Again, I’m new and haven’t touched the timers yet. Just what I THINK I’ve read from the manual.

    What would happen if you set the weekend start time to just after midnight? Would the car then start to charge anytime Saturday or Sunday?

    Craig
     
  9. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    My testing indicates that a Start schedule will only be executed if the car is plugged in at the time scheduled. If it is plugged in any time after it will charge at the next scheduled time.
     
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  10. abensky

    abensky Junior Member

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    That's a great idea, but requires physical changes to the car so won't help me for over 10 years since I just got mine! A software solution could work on current models.
     
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  11. AnneLW

    AnneLW Member

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    If you want to set it to charge every night starting at midnight you can. You just have to plug it in before midnight.

    If you want to change that, it is ONE button pushto switch to "charge now" when you park at home, or TWO buttons pushes if you do it later (although you do have the additional exertion of opening the door and getting in the car).

    And the timer should automatically revert back to the preset schedule after that charge.
     
  12. Elektroingenieur

    Elektroingenieur Senior Member

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    You probably can’t, at least not effectively, for two reasons:
    • Like many large firms, Toyota has an announced policy of not accepting unsolicited, outside suggestions.
    • Toyota’s practice, as far as I know, has been to release software updates for delivered models only to correct defects, such as safety, reliability, or compliance issues, not to add features or improvements.
    There may be another way to do this: leave Charge Now set to On, but put the outlet or circuit used by your home charging cable or equipment on a time switch, set to turn on only at times when electricity rates are low.

    A plug-in timer, like you’d use to switch a table lamp to scare burglars away, typically wouldn’t be rated for the current involved. Instead, you would need a time switch made for commercial or industrial use, from a supplier such as Intermatic, NSI, or OMRON. Electrical contractors should be familiar with these, since they’re often used to control outside lights on a schedule.

    For a weekly schedule, rather than a 24-hour one, and to keep the standby energy use as low as possible, it would be better to use a digital time switch than an electromechanical one. You might need a separate relay or contactor to do the actual switching, depending on the expected load.
     
  13. goluchowski

    goluchowski New Member

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    I believe that if you plug the charger into the car, unplug it for a second and then plug in again, the charger starts immediately.
     
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  14. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    Absolutely correct.
     
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Might be worth an entry into the "obscure facts" thread.
     
  16. prius4-me

    prius4-me Member

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    Right - page 139 of Owner's Manual " While the charging indicator is flashing, remove and reconnect the charging
    connector within 5 seconds" or turn on Charge Now.
     
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