About to get my first plug-in car, and have some questions.
I work in the software industry so I know that all apps eventually get discontinued or abandoned, so what happens to my home EV charger when the app it needs is no longer available?
Are there generic home EV charger apps that work with other brands chargers?
Can I just not install the app? I’m not saying I’d avoid installing it, but knowing how the charger would behave in this scenario is important information.
I don’t know of any EVSE that requires an app to work. Almost all of them have some manual configuration for circuit sizing with DIP switches or something.
Stay far away from the Amazon no name brands, though. But a connector from a reputable brand that other owners suggest in your area.
I find it’s better to ignore the smart functions of the charger, and program the charging times in the car instead. I have a BP charger and the app is rubbish!
I didn’t know that was a thing. Sounds great!
What car and evse are you looking at? Most of the time, you do not need “smart” evse; just plug the car in, and it will handle it. If you want metering, lockout, and other features, you’ll need the app, but for the most part, and for most use cases, you only need a cable, and not a full-blown charging station.
3008 PHEV, haven’t picked a charger yet.
I recommend OpenEVSE. You can hook it into HomeAssistant or DIY control it over MQTT.
No closed apps or clouds that will be abandoned. All standards and openness.
Ah, so if you don’t use the app on the smart charger, it acts like a dumb charger. Good good.