Teslafi tips for new users

[LukeT]

I'm not a fan of setting charge-finish-time. A power cut leaves you with nothing ...

Would it not restart immediately after power cut? It would take an unusually long power cut to affect end charge state by more than a few mins at a supercharger during the day couldn't fix, wouldn't it? We get quite a few where we live but they don't often last an hour and they're not often enough that I'd expect them to hit a critical charge more than say a couple of times a year.

Anyway, it would seem very easy for tesla to implement an app function to set charge finish time, or even planned departure time so the car could be already mostly charged but spend a few mins topping up and warming the battery. Me, I'm worried enough about this not to do it, and will take @WannabeOwner's approach, but I wonder whether the reason they haven't is that they don't think it really makes a difference to set charge limit to 100% the night before, have the car then charge to that and sit there for a few hours before departure.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Would it not restart immediately after power cut?

Yes ... but if you are timed to finish at departure, or the schedule stops at end of Off Peak, then a power cut of anything other than a "sub-station trip-and-reset" is going to leave you short ... I agree that is a rare event, but could well mean you couldn't take the car the next day. I don't have a Supercharger within driving distance with SoC < 50%. I've had my Rolec <spit> wall charger trip during the night on enough occasions when I have then had to take ICE ... [prolonged] powercut in the later stage of "scheduled based on finish time" would be similar. If charging in the daytime I have emails alerts (TeslaFi) if Rolec trips ... but at night I don't have that ability (I don't want Mobile waking me for all sorts of Notifications that my stampede of APPs thinks are critical!!)

I'm not sure Car Schedule [currently] would restart. Mine is set to start at Off Peak (midnight), and if I come home later, after a good night out , it still starts ... but if there was a power cut at 4AM I don't think it would (i.e. outside the "late start tolerance"). Of course a software change to "Charge based on finish-time" could be expected to restart - apart from Tesla's dreadful software regression testing past performance </SoapBox>

they don't think it really makes a difference to set charge limit to 100% the night before, have the car then charge to that and sit there for a few hours before departure

I agree that for a 100% charge I do the 90%-100% scheduled to finish at departure time so battery doesn't "sit" at 100%. For the rest, commuting in the Winter presumably benefits from a charge-before-departure to warm the battery - but I don't have data to know that it actually makes a sufficiently tangible difference to (cold-weather reduced) Regen. Probably more worthwhile is to pre-condition the car (Climate) on Shore-power before departure; I do have schedules set up for that (morning departure, if @ Home, and evening departure, if @ Work)

 

[LukeT]

Given other thread asking about teslafi from scratch I though it might be worth bumping this one.

It's not a tip as such because I can't claim to have tried many alternatives but my method (in part because I can only charge at 16a at the moment, which might make this good for other newbies like me) is to have an 7am ish scheduled setting of charge limit to very low (55% at the moment) and an 11pm one up to 80%. This way, in a normal day, all charging is done with grid carbon intensity at its lowest. In a day when we get home with low SoC, a bit of the higher carbon majority may be used to bring us back and we'll start the day at or near 80%.

I will probably change these variables or get a bit more sophisticated when we get a proper chargepoint.

 

[booyaka76]

Anyone got a referal code for Teslafi ??

 

[bhanorthy]

Anyone got a referal code for Teslafi ??

PMed you.

 

[LukeT]

I have one obviously. Feel free to PM me if anyone wants it.

 

[booyaka76]

Thanks for the 5 referral codes - going to use the first one sent to me!

 

[TooEager]

I'll take a leftover one

 

[TooEager]

I'll take a leftover one

all sorted thanks!

 

[m3gt2]

Could I have a referral code please? Just had a reminder email that we will have our new arrival on Friday

 

[LukeT]

Could I have a referral code please? Just had a reminder email that we will have our new arrival on Friday

Sure. I'll PM you mine. If anyone wants mine feel free just to PM me and I'll respond with it.

 

[Rooster6655]

I found this site useful for generating a Tesla token vs entering in your login data to teslafi (Only took 2 mins)
Tesla API Token Generator

 

[LukeT]

I found this site useful for generating a Tesla token vs entering in your login data to teslafi (Only took 2 mins)
Tesla API Token Generator

Which of the options on that page/thread did you go for?

I'm not sure on reading it which would offer the best combination of security and ease. Because this api generating stuff has gone beyond my tech pay grade.

 

[WannabeOwner]

this api generating stuff has gone beyond my tech pay grade.

I would start with whether you think there is a risk in getting TeslaFi to generate the token. Certainly the risk is not zero, but stealing Tesla logons is a lousy business model! and TeslaFi Fleet data shows over 7,500 vehicles. Probably some on trials ... but at $50 p.a. subscription, and probably growing at a decent rate given the production volume of Model-3, I reckon James is already on a nice little earner for what is basically a one-man-band.

 

[Rooster6655]

Which of the options on that page/thread did you go for?

I'm not sure on reading it which would offer the best combination of security and ease. Because this api generating stuff has gone beyond my tech pay grade.

Hi

The one linked using tampermonkey plus script as your details are kept on your computer and the scripts can be checked in case your worried

 

[LukeT]

I would start with whether you think there is a risk in getting TeslaFi to generate the token. Certainly the risk is not zero, but stealing Tesla logons is a lousy business model! and TeslaFi Fleet data shows over 7,500 vehicles. Probably some on trials ... but at $50 p.a. subscription, and probably growing at a decent rate given the production volume of Model-3, I reckon James is already on a nice little earner for what is basically a one-man-band.

Agreed. I tend to be happy with moderate risk for a bit more convenience but if the risk can be reduced without inconvenience then I might pull my finger out!

 

[WannabeOwner]

Personally I don't think the risk is even "moderate", but for anyone competent with the software no reason not to do it

 

[Darmie]

Probably recommend that you automatically disable HVAC after 15 minutes if the car hasn't moved so that it doesn't remain on if it's a Bank Holiday and you're not doing the regular commute
.

Great idea, should be in their schedule for a time limit. Did you just make another line to shut off hvac?
I cam here to provide my inputs and behold, I learned something myself. Wife never gets off of work on time.

 

[jvmoore1]

Great idea, should be in their schedule for a time limit. Did you just make another line to shut off hvac?
I cam here to provide my inputs and behold, I learned something myself. Wife never gets off of work on time.

here is my set up...

 

[Darmie]

here is my set up...
View attachment 458826

Perfect. thanks.
Here's a pro tip for ya.
Select tab "Drives" Select "Road Trip Search". Enter in start date and end date of your road trip. This will display a page of all your drives, charging and to the right will display the miles driven on the trip.