Smart charging issue

Leeds United

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Joined
Feb 21, 2026
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Location (town/city + country)
Carlisle, uk
Driving
ZS EV
I have a ZS 2022 and when I plug it into my ohme charger to smart charge on Octopus cheap rate it won't charge. I have an MG5 also and that charges fine.
I've asked Mr ChatGTP and it says this is a known problem with the ZS and smart chargers?
 
I wouldn't trust ChatGTP. If you ask it the same question for lots of EV makes & models it says the same thing. The ZS is not known for AC charging issues, although of course some owners have experienced this. Numbers are very small. One of our Kia E-Niros has suffered AC charging issues & required a new onboard charger. This is something that can affect any EV regardless of make or model but it's not a big deal or very common. The ZS is generally regarded as very reliable.
 
First off i would find out if the OnboardCharger is faulty.

Go to any publicly available destination "charger" and try to charge there, if the car charges there, its not the OBC.

If it fails "everywhere" it is the on-board charger.

Do you have an app for the Ohme wallbox, i have seen numerous posts on different EV forums, where smart wallboxes, that are set to charge at the cheapest rate, fail to start and so on, so if you have an app, where it is possible to disable all of the smart Gobbledygook functionality, try this and see if the car will charge then.

What happens when you try to charge, what does the app for the ZS EV say ?

Basically, both the car and the wall box can say "I'm not ready" or "I'm ready", you can often figure out if it is the car or the box that prevents the charging by looking at what the app says.

What i mean is....If the wall box says "I am not ready" then the OBC is probably not defective, its just not being allowed to get and electrons from the wall box.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
yes, if ZS charges normally (and I guess it is as you would not be able to drive it otherwise) apart from the Octopus random slots, the car is not faulty. I don't use Octopus but as far as I understand, there are some options like Intelligent Octopus Go that require compatible car, is that what you use?

Key Differences:
  • Rate and Time: IOG generally offers a lower, 6-hour off-peak rate, while Go offers a slightly higher 5-hour window.
  • Compatibility: IOG requires a compatible car or charger to allow Octopus to control charging, while Go works with any setup.
Maybe someone with a ZS and the same setup as yours will know more. Alternative, ask Octopus what's going on, they should know best.
 
Oops gents, mea culpa. On further investigation I discovered the slider on the charging screen had been moved to 40% and so that was why it wasn't charging beyond that (car was on 42% charge when I noticed the lack of charging). Still, to put a positive spin on it at least there's no need to bother with booking it in and all the hassle that entails!
Thanks to all those who offered suggestions.
 
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