Using Tesla Scheduled Charging with Charge HQ

This configuration uses the vehicle's charging schedule to prevent the vehicle from charging at unwanted times, and to ensure it charges overnight if required. 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:

• Charging will no longer start every time the vehicle is plugged in. This avoids short unwanted charging sessions, eg when you plug in during peak periods.
• In the event of a communication failure overnight, the vehicle will still be charged. This avoids the possibility of a vehicle not being charged due to a communication failure.
• Helps avoid the random start issue experienced by some vehicles.

Setup Process

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.

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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:

• If you use the Charge HQ charging schedule, use the same start time. If you use different start times on different days, use the start time that you use on the most number of days.
• If you don't use the Charge HQ schedule and you have an overnight off-peak tariff, chose a start time to at or near the start of your overnight off-peak period, eg if your off-peak rates start at 00:00, set the charging start time to 00:00 or slightly later.
• If none of the above apply, choose a start time which is around the time you generally want charging to occur. The choice of start time is not critical as Charge HQ will always start and stop charging as required.

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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 Scheduled Charge period).

The Charge HQ schedule can still be used to perform scheduled charging as normal.

Six hour schedule charging window

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.

Will this impact charging away from home?

No. The Tesla vehicle schedule settings are location-dependant. If you enable schedule charging on the vehicle when it is parked at home, that schedule only applies when the vehicle is at home. When away from home scheduled charging will not be active and the vehicle will start charging immediately when plugged in.

Why is there a delay before charging starts 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.

Can I still control charging using the Tesla app or touchscreen?

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.

Can I still use the Charge HQ schedule?

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.

What about departure charging?

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.