Owning an electric vehicle (EV) is a new experience for most people, and charging is a significant part of the ownership experience. Understanding the nuances of efficient EV charging can help you save money while maximizing the impact of your sustainable choices.
The new Enphase IQ EV Chargers are rugged and intelligent charging stations that unlock smart features, such as solar charging, when integrated with an Enphase Energy System. Even when used independently of a solar energy system, IQ EV Chargers enable off-peak charging, remote monitoring, and several other smart features that can simplify your life. All these features can be easily accessed and controlled through the Enphase App.
In this article, we detail various ways you can use the Enphase App to understand and control your EV charging and maximize the potential of an IQ EV Charger.
Energy consumption
The energy consumed by your EV depends on the capacity of its battery pack, its acceptance rate, and the amperage rating of your IQ EV Charger.
For example, a Tesla Model 3 Long Range has a battery pack size of 75 kWh and an acceptance rate of 11.5 kW. For this vehicle our recommended charger is the IQ 60 EV Charger, which gives a power output of 48 A x 240 V = 11.52 KW. Since the limiting factor is the acceptance rate of 11.5 kW, the maximum energy consumed at any time cannot exceed this limit.
Based on the system profile setting (applicable only to homes with an Enphase Energy System) and charging schedules (for all homes with an IQ EV Charger), EV charging can happen at various times and levels during the day. However, as the above calculation shows, the energy consumed will always be less than or equal to the maximum limit acceptable for your EV.
Status screen
The main screen of your Enphase App is Status, where you can find a summary of energy produced and consumed as well as details on the energy pulled from the grid and batteries (if applicable). Expanding the Consumed icon on the page will give you insights into the amount of energy consumed by your EV and other home loads.
For homes with an Enphase Energy System:
Scrolling down the Status screen, you'll find a dedicated section for your IQ EV Charger. This section gives insights into the status of the charger, energy consumed during the last active charging session, and details on upcoming or ongoing charging schedules. You also have a quick access button to start or stop charging.
For homes with a standalone IQ EV Charger:
If you have a standalone IQ EV Charger, the Status screen will look like this.
Live Status screen
The Live Status screen is accessed from the top right corner of the Status screen, and shows energy consumption across your entire system in real time, with EV consumption highlighted separately.
For homes with an Enphase Energy System:
For homes with a standalone IQ EV Charger:
Energy screen
The Energy screen shows the cumulative energy consumed by the EV charger and other home appliances (for an Enphase Energy System) across various time intervals.
For homes with an Enphase Energy System:
For homes with a standalone IQ EV Charger:
EV Session History screen
In addition to data on energy consumption, schedules, and energy sources, the app provides a dedicated page with detailed information on EV charging for every charging session. Navigate to Menu > System > EV Session History or quickly access this page from the View all sessions link in the EV charging section on the Status screen.
Here, you can find information on all your previous charging sessions, miles added, energy consumed, and cost of charging per session.
Customized EV charging
The Enphase App provides detailed information on EV charging so you can be well-informed and make decisions to further optimize your experience. The profiles and EV charging schedules available in the app can help you customize your charging to suit your individual EV charging goals, whether you're interested in saving money with solar charging or charging at the most convenient times.
We've created another support article, Using profiles and schedules in the Enphase App to meet your EV charging goals, to help you make the most of your profile and schedule options.
