Modes

Every charging point has three modes. Two of them are simple manual switches: the device stays off, or it runs at full power. In these modes no rules apply, so an EV charger in Fast mode behaves like a charger without evcc.

All automatic decisions happen in Smart mode. The mode names depend on the device.

EV Chargers

Screenshot of a charging point. Cursor clicks on the Smart mode.

• Off: The vehicle doesn’t charge.
• Smart: The vehicle charges automatically at the right time and power.
• Fast: The vehicle charges at maximum power right away.

Smart mode covers the following:

• Solar surplus charging: Charging starts as soon as your solar system produces enough surplus, and the power follows the surplus. See solar surplus charging.
• Cheap or green grid charging: With a dynamic tariff or a CO₂ forecast you set a limit, and the vehicle charges from the grid whenever the price or CO₂ intensity is below it.
• Priorities: You decide whether the home battery or the vehicle gets the surplus first. With several charging points and heaters, the Priority setting of each charging point decides who gets the surplus first.
• Charging plans: You set a departure time and a target, and the best hours to get there are picked automatically. See charging plans.

If none of these applies, e.g. at night without a plan or a cheap hour, the vehicle doesn’t charge in Smart mode. If the vehicle is below its minimum charge, it charges at full power in Smart mode until it’s reached.

Always Charge

Some vehicles do not like regular starting and stopping of charging. For these cases the Always charge option in the dropdown of the Smart mode button keeps the charging session running without interruptions.

Screenshot of the Always charge option in the Smart mode dropdown.

When active, charging begins immediately at minimum charging power, even if there is no or insufficient surplus. If surplus is available or a cheap hour begins, the charging power is increased accordingly. Charging is never interrupted. This can override the priorities: if a charging point with higher priority or the home battery needs the surplus, charging is only reduced to minimum power, not stopped.

Use the switch to turn Always charge on and off. With the 1x button the option only applies to the current charging session and switches off automatically when the vehicle is disconnected.

The setting is kept when switching modes, but it only takes effect in Smart mode. In the Vehicle Settings dialog (More → Vehicles) you can set a default per vehicle that is applied when the vehicle is identified: Keep as is, Off or On. Even in very changeable weather conditions, Always charge can be a good alternative to plain surplus charging.

Directly Controlled Heaters

Heaters with adjustable power, e.g. heating rods, work just like an EV charger with Off / Smart / Fast. Instead of a minimum charge, a Minimum temperature can be set: if the temperature drops below it, the heater also runs in Smart mode until it is reached again. The option in the Smart dropdown is called Always heat here. Charging plans aren’t available for heaters yet.

Heat Pumps

Screenshot of a heat pump with the modes Normal, Smart and Boost.

• Normal: The heat pump runs on its own schedule.
• Smart: The heat pump gets a boost signal when it’s worth it.
• Boost: The heat pump gets the boost signal permanently.

In Smart mode, the heat pump is boosted with solar surplus and in cheap or green hours below your limit. The same priorities as for EV chargers apply. If the temperature drops below the Minimum temperature set at the charging point, it is also boosted until the temperature is reached again.

Smart Plugs

Screenshot of a smart plug with the modes Off, Smart and On.

• Off: The plug stays switched off.
• Smart: The plug switches on with solar surplus and in cheap or green hours below your limit.
• On: The plug stays switched on.

A smart plug can only switch the device on or off, so Always charge isn’t available here.

Default Mode

By default, a charging point keeps the last selected mode. If you prefer a fixed starting point, you can set a default on two levels:

1. Charging point: Configuration → Charging points & Heaters, applied when a vehicle is connected
2. Vehicle: More → Vehicles, applied when the vehicle is identified and takes precedence

The upcoming optimizer will also work in Smart mode.