NorCal: what’s your experience with MCE Sync app?

[mirkop82]

Just got the email from MCE inviting me to enroll to their off-peak charging program/scheduling.
Of course it requires you to download their app (MCE Sync) and give them access to your car through Tesla's API to control the charging schedule.
Is anyone using it? What's your experience?

(I realize now this post might be in the wrong forum, apologies and moderators feel free to move it to the proper stop )

 

[wwu123]

Don't know about the MCE one, but SVCE, our local CCA, has their own time-shifting app GridShift that was hardly updated in two years, gets horrible reviews, and basically doesn't work. Also I'm wary that these apps probably constantly poll your vehicle, keeping it awake, and ultimately cause it to consume more energy and associated cost, than they were intended to conserve.

Let us know how MCE Sync works. Heck, if it works well, maybe I'll even use it here in SVCE territory, the MCE one doesn't say anything about it being restricted to MCE customers (unlike the limitations on the SVCE one).

 

[Aventador]

I have MCE sync in Marin County. It only functions when I charge at home. I found that when I tried charging at home during the day (before 3pm), the app stopped my charging without notification. This happened several times during the day but it took me 2 days to figure out that MCE sync was stopping the charging. I discontinued MCE sync and now I can charge during the day, when my solar panels are generating the most energy. I think MCE sync wants us to charge between midnight and 8am. My my low cost time of use for PGE energy is midnight to 3pm.

 

[Aventador]

I just modified my MCE sync app features so that it now charges my Y when I want it to. You set (1) the time the car should be charged by, (2) charge by solar, (3) charge from the grid at lowest cost times, (4) charging when demand is low, (5) charging when grid energy is green, in that priority order.

 

[donm94556]

It caused a lot of expensive complications for us. We preferred to charge after 11pm, but this app forced us to charge at different times.

It got worse after I deinstalled the app. Shortly thereafter, the car would only charge for a few miles at home, then suddenly stop. It worked fine at superchargers and other locations, but not at home.

We spent over $500 investing in new charging cables and having Tesla do diagnostics. Tesla couldn't find anything wrong.

Yesterday I realized that the MCE Sync app still had control over the vehicle. They never responded to my support ticket, but I discovered that changing my Tesla account password blocked their access to my car. It finally charged correctly last night!

What a nightmare...