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ThosEM
Space Weatherman
They supposedly implemented (in beta) a smart pre-conditioning feature, but though I've enabled it, I've never seen it work. Maybe since they couldn't get that working, they gave up?
In any case, most commuting days require about the same amount of charging so you can just do what is recommended below once and preset it for your typical day. Then just start it just before bed when you have more than the usual amount of charging to do. Finish up the charging in the morning when you do the pre-conditioning that never happens by itself ;=)
In any case, most commuting days require about the same amount of charging so you can just do what is recommended below once and preset it for your typical day. Then just start it just before bed when you have more than the usual amount of charging to do. Finish up the charging in the morning when you do the pre-conditioning that never happens by itself ;=)
Ironic, I've got an eGolf where you can ONLY specify departure time (not charge start time), and a Model S where you can ONLY specify charge start time (not departure time). Given the two models, I'd say that I far prefer the Tesla one. I start charging off peak at midnight, and complete off peak early AM sometime, regardless of whether I'm adding 10% or 90%. If I decide to depart earlier than normal, no problem. Put another way, if I have an early appointment and I forgot to change my departure time, no problem. In terms of making the charging completely transparent, I like the Tesla model. All I sacrifice is a couple of miles per day of vampire loss. At off peak costs, maybe 25 cents? I hope Tesla adds departure time to satisfy those of you who want it - but it is certainly way down on my priority list, and I pray that they don't eliminate the option to use start time.
If I could design it it would work this way: if scheduled charging is enabled the user must enter a desired charging complete time (ideally by day of week). The user could also (optionally) configure a "not before" time.
So if I say I want it fully charged at 7AM and it needs 2 hours of charging then it would start at 5AM. But if it needs 10 hours of charging and I said not to start charging earlier than 11PM then it would start at 11PM and not be fully charged at 7AM. Now at that point it is debatable if it should stop charging or continue (or if that should also be configurable).
So if I say I want it fully charged at 7AM and it needs 2 hours of charging then it would start at 5AM. But if it needs 10 hours of charging and I said not to start charging earlier than 11PM then it would start at 11PM and not be fully charged at 7AM. Now at that point it is debatable if it should stop charging or continue (or if that should also be configurable).
GasKilla
No Gas Know Peace
The location charging time is great but they need to add more than just one start time. On weekends my TOU rates don't apply so I can charge at anytime, it would be very nice to have a separate timer for the weekend plus a "finish charging by" time for the northern folks.
We have a fiat 500e aslo and overriding the charging timer is a pain, but very easy on the Leaf because it was a dedicated button ... I don't miss buttons
I'm a techie, and I totally agree with you. Adds little value and has potential to add much confusion.
Now, having said that, timed pre-conditioning would be great. But that does not need to be linked to charging completion. I think a lot of posters here are conflating the two.
I believe the reason that Tesla has not implemented the same myriad options as Volt, my eGolf, etc. is this: they are trying really hard to design the car so it doesn't scream "hey I'm electric, I'm different from what you've driven your whole life, and you need to learn all kinds of new things!" I believe that is behind some of the instrument cluster changes as well. This forum - by and large - seems populated by people who are technically oriented and want all of the controls. The lions share of the market not only doesn't value that - they don't want it. Tesla wants big market penetration and minimal EV-phobia, so that's how they are building their car, this forum be damned... and I think that is right decision.
So what most people here are saying is that every little thing another company comes up with, Tesla should have it to. Ok, then pop on over to those companies respective sites or call the companies directly and tell them their cars should have everything the MS has.
Is it really difficult to do some basic math. you need 90 miles added to get to 90% by 7 am? Start the charging at 4 am. Problem solved.
Is it really difficult to do some basic math. you need 90 miles added to get to 90% by 7 am? Start the charging at 4 am. Problem solved.
It's just not optimal for range OR battery longevity.
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Agreed, but oversimplified on the other side of the spectrum is even worse because it leaves the consumer powerless to make the product function as it should.
You mean the approach of limiting features and not adding features which owners are asking for? That approach?
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Because there is a better way that others have figured out. Why must Tesla reinvent the wheel with every little thing instead of looking around at the useful features in other vehicles and adopting those? It would give owners a lot more of what they are asking for, reduce the amount of work for Tesla because they could "get it right" the first time, and it would add immensely to owner satisfaction. Seems a little difficult for Tesla to grasp this concept.
Obviously it is not difficult to do basic math. But it also isn't difficult to turn on your own headlights, turn on your own wipers, hit the button to open your garage door. And it isn't the math, it is the changing the timer.
My situation. Monday - 30 miles. Free charger at work. Tuesday - 80 miles. Wed - 10 miles. Thurs - 70 miles. Fri ??? Sat ??? Sun ???
Every day changing the timer when a simple setting that many other EVs have (dare I say all real EVs?)
The Leaf (ie number 1 selling EV in most areas) has start and end timers, 2 timers - defined by day of week.
I get the KISS but it just isn't optimal and we aren't talking about some mechanical thing that will break or something that needs tweaking once set. Ignoring an end setting hurts efficiency.
jcaspar
Member
This would be a cool feature but unless I am missing something, it seems it is a feature I would only use a few times a year for long trips. Most days I charge to 80 or 90% and have an EV rate of 0.06$ that runs from 10pm to 4pm in the winter. I just set start time to 10:05pm and never think about it. For the night before a long trip (where I need 100%), I just set it to 90% and then about an hour before I leave I use the app to change it to 100%. This I only need to do 3-4 times a year. On these days it might help though my trip departure times can often vary and it it nice to know I have 90% for sure in the morning and not that the car is waiting till later to start charging.
The same argument against adding departure time to the app is the same argument against adding Autopilot to the car. Autopilot is as far from KISS as humanly possible, in my opinion. KISS is not a good principle to follow when you have the power of software that can make life so much simpler. It's a good feature to have and Tesla should implement it. It's a basic, simple algorithm that a high school programmer could put together.
jcaspar
Member
Which still leaves me wondering how this would help me and why I would use it other than the 3-4 times a year when I need a 100% charge at a specific time. The auto open garage feature is certainly much more useful to me as I use that 3-4 times a day, not a year. I suspect Tesla is prioritizing their programers time or is just short on high school programers. :smile:
