MG5 iSmart - how to activate on car?

[jingler]

Hi, I have an MG5 LR and like most EVs it comes with a granny charger that plugs into the mains, buy a smart plug adapter and you can programme it any way you like. iPhone and Android apps are available.

Not ideal, but if you get a home charger (7.2kWh) most can be programmed.

My “Wallbox” is programmed for midnight to 7:30am every night to use the off peak tariff whether I plug in the car or not.

Hope this helps, Amazon have many smart plug adapters just make sure it is 13amp rated.

 

[BugEyed]

As previously, don't switch charging off via the "granny" charger. If you want to control it remotely then switch the CP line. Like smoking you'll not get cancer from the first cigarette, but repeated interruption of the charge by turning off the power to the "granny" risks both the switch, the "granny" and the onboard charger on the car.

 

[jingler]

I have a feeling that repeated interruption is a lot more than once at the start and once at the finish of the charging cycle. The repeated interruptions are more to do with solar charging. I did say it was not the ideal solution but it will work and a properly rated switch will not be affected.

Best to have a charger installed but expensive when only doing a couple of hundred miles a week i.e. 2 charges a week.

 

[smokie]

I'm not a high miler but I must admit I wouldn't be without the home charger - mainly for the convenience, but also Octopus cheap overnight rate. I'd just regard it as part of the cost of buying the car in the same way that some get tinted windows or (though it will presumably be good for the next car too) flash wheels etc etc.

 

[BugEyed]

The repeated interruptions are more to do with solar charging.

Which is controlled via the CP line and works fine - the car smoothly ramps down the charge rather than the supply being cut.
The car will survive it a few times as it can cope with a power cut, but the switch will be in way over its rating.
If you RTFM you'll see that you are supposed to stop charging by unlocking the car, not by turning the "granny" off at the plug or unplugging it.

 

[smokie]

Which is controlled via the CP line and works fine - the car smoothly ramps down the charge rather than the supply being cut.

It's not clear how Jingler manages on/off with his solar. He mentions a smart switch and I thought he meant just a socket.

 

[jingler]

Which is controlled via the CP line and works fine - the car smoothly ramps down the charge rather than the supply being cut.
The car will survive it a few times as it can cope with a power cut, but the switch will be in way over its rating.
If you RTFM you'll see that you are supposed to stop charging by unlocking the car, not by turning the "granny" off at the plug or unplugging it.

I fear we are losing the plot here we are talking of breaking a 10amp 240v circuit that is feeding a system capable of dealing with many multiples of that amount. As you say yourself it has to be able to deal gracefully with any sudden power loss, in china, outside the main cities, that happens all the time.

With regard to the switch, solid state 240v 50amp relays are cheap and readily available and would handle 10 amps without breaking sweat. As said just make sure the switch is rated correctly.

There are numerous people in this country that have operated EVs in this manner for years without problem. See Raspberry Pi projects on other EV sites, in fact the "Wallbox" I use uses the RPi as the brains of the charger.

My original comment was made to try and save range and new owner anxiety not to stir a can of worms.

As to manuals they are for the "obedience of fools and guidance of wise men". Chinese ones especially.

 

[BugEyed]

You need to consider the inductance and capacitance of the system that you are considering switching. No commercial "wallbox" switches power in the way that you suggest, they all follow the relevant standard and indicate to the car to cease drawing charge which it then does in an orderly fashion.
I wish you well with your system but do not recommend it to others. I'll leave it at that and not respond again.

 

[jingler]

I am sure we could debate power factor angles to the end of time however I am not inclined to do so. However I would point out that at no time did I suggest that commercial systems were based on my suggestion. Wallbox is a proprietary charger which happens to use a Raspberry Pi board to provide the computing power to its electronics. It is not related to Raspberry Pi projects by others.
I too will not respond further.

 

[Alb]

I'll leave it at that and not respond again.

I too will not respond further.

Good decision bearing in mind your discussion had nothing to do with the subject matter of this thread!
Nothing to stop you raising a separate dedicated topic though.