The configuration described here has not yet been widely tested. For now, we recommend this configuration to users who are experiencing the repeated random start issue and are looking for a fix. However if you are curious please feel free to give it a try - it does provide advantages even if you don't experience the random start issue.
This configuration uses the vehicle's charging schedule to prevent the vehicle from charging at unwanted times. When configured, charging will be started by the vehicle according to the schedule and then stopped by Charge HQ as required. This configuration can be used whether you want to perform scheduled charging or not. It provides the following benefits:
For those experiencing the random start issue experienced by some vehicles, this configuration should reduce the frequency of unwanted charging events however it may not eliminate them entirely.
Some vehicles will repeatedly start charging during the schedule window, even after being stopped. Charge HQ will stop the charging up to 4 times, then it will give up and allow charging to continue. This is to avoid excessive wear on the charging equipment caused by repeated start/stop cycles. You will receive a notification when Charge HQ gives up (notifications require app version 1.8 or higher).
We appreciate that this is a frustrating issue for those users who are impacted. We're continuing to investigate and looking for ways to improve the situation.
There are two steps, both must be performed:
Step 1 - enable Override Vehicle Schedule
In the Charge HQ app.go to Settings -> Advanced and enable Override Vehicle Schedule. This causes Charge HQ to stop charging that was started by the vehicle schedule, as required.
Step 2 - enable the vehicle's charging schedule
Ensure your vehicle is parked at home when performing this step.
Using the Tesla app, enable scheduled charging at a nominated start time. We recommend choosing the start time as follows:
When configured as above, charging will start at the scheduled time eg 00:15, and will be stopped by Charge HQ within a couple of minutes if required (or allowed to continue if aligned with an Always Charge period).
The Charge HQ schedule can still be used to perform scheduled charging as normal.
When you enable scheduled charging on the vehicle, charging will start if the vehicle is plugged in within six hours after the schedule start time. For example, if the schedule start time is 00:00, the vehicle will start charging if plugged in any time between 00:00 and 06:00. This is the normal behaviour of the Tesla charging schedule.
Charge HQ understands this six hour window: if charging starts during this six hour window then Charge HQ will consider that it was caused by the vehicle schedule and will override it if Override Vehicle Schedule is enabled.
No. The Tesla vehicle schedule settings are location-dependant. If you enable schedule charging when the vehicle is parked at home, that schedule only applies when the vehicle is at home. When away from home, the vehicle will start charging immediately when plugged in.
When the vehicle schedule is enabled, the vehicle will no longer start charging immediately when plugged in outside of the six hour window charging. It may take up to several minutes for Charge HQ to detect that the vehicle has been plugged in and to start charging.
If you plug the car in and want to start charging immediately (eg if there is solar available), you can speed up this process by opening the Charge HQ app, which causes Charge HQ to communicate with the vehicle immediately.
Yes. When Override Vehicle Schedule is enabled, Charge HQ will still allow charging to be started or stopped manually using the Tesla app or vehicle. If manual control is performed, Charge HQ will enter the "Charging Control Paused" mode.
There is one exception: if charging is started manually during the six hour schedule charging window, Charge HQ will consider this to be caused by the vehicle schedule and will stop the charging.
Yes. This configuration can be used together with the Charge HQ schedule, which will function as normal. Refer to the notes in Step 2 about choosing a start time.
Charge HQ does not replicate the Tesla departure charging feature. If you want to use the vehicle's departure charging feature then you can't enable the "start at" scheduled charging on the vehicle, because the vehicle does not support both departure and scheduled charging at the same time.
The Override Vehicle Schedule setting is not applicable to departure charging; Charge HQ will always allow departure charging to occur regardless of this setting.
