Dual charger options
Discussion
What are people's experience of dual charging boxes? Looking for a solution that lets us plug two cars in simultaneously and let the software sort balancing the charge.
Currently we have an Ohme wallbox connected to Octopus, but it's a pain swapping between cars - and the app only lets you have one car profile anyway. Which when one's a PHEV and the other an EV, it makes the smart charging anything but!
Are we better off ripping it out and putting a dual charger in - or is sticking a second Ohme in likely to be the least painful solution?
Currently we have an Ohme wallbox connected to Octopus, but it's a pain swapping between cars - and the app only lets you have one car profile anyway. Which when one's a PHEV and the other an EV, it makes the smart charging anything but!
Are we better off ripping it out and putting a dual charger in - or is sticking a second Ohme in likely to be the least painful solution?
What's the problem you have with the current setup?
I'm in the same boat, my wife drives a full electric Corsa, I've got an XC60 PHEV.
Octopus is set up for the Corsa to ensure it gets a full charge when needed, when I plug in the XC60 it just charges as it should. The only advantage is that due to Octopus thinking it's the Corsa plugged in, it may give me an advance charge due to (what it thinks is) the potential charge needed.
Swapping between cars hasn't been an issue to date, just plug either in and let Octopus do its stuff.
Using a Zappi rather than an Ohme, but I can't see that would make a difference.
I'm in the same boat, my wife drives a full electric Corsa, I've got an XC60 PHEV.
Octopus is set up for the Corsa to ensure it gets a full charge when needed, when I plug in the XC60 it just charges as it should. The only advantage is that due to Octopus thinking it's the Corsa plugged in, it may give me an advance charge due to (what it thinks is) the potential charge needed.
Swapping between cars hasn't been an issue to date, just plug either in and let Octopus do its stuff.
Using a Zappi rather than an Ohme, but I can't see that would make a difference.
Not implemented it myself so take this as no more than a “might be worth exploring” suggestion, but the Tesla V3 chargers can be configured to share a supply limit according to the manual. What’s less clear is how well they work doing this with other makes of car but I’ve certainly used them at a destination charger (I know some superchargers do this too, this is different) and I was charging quite nicely until somebody plugged in next to me and my rate was cut in half. The advantage is you can install them apart so long as they connect to the same wifi.
We've two EV's and two chargers... albeit rarely use one of them.
Both EV's have a reasonable range, and one of them typically gets used only for local trips, so tend to charge that once a week, while the other gets charged each evening. The times we've used both chargers at the same time, I can count on one hand.
Both EV's have a reasonable range, and one of them typically gets used only for local trips, so tend to charge that once a week, while the other gets charged each evening. The times we've used both chargers at the same time, I can count on one hand.
ucb said:
If one's pHEV (with presumably aa 10-20kWh battery) can't you just 3-pin charge it?
We absolutely could, although it'd be about 30% slower. In fact, there's an outdoor 3-pin socket right next to our charge point - but a tethered lead is so much less faff and more robust, so I'd happily pay for a bit more convenience. I figured someone might've already solved my very first-world problem!Ledaig said:
What's the problem you have with the current setup?
Swapping between cars in the evening means getting off my arse and switching the lead over. When it's raining and cold I'd rather just push a button on an app, or better still, just let the charger sort it automatically. Probably will only happen 3 times a week, but it's enough to be annoying.We'd like to be able to plug both cars in when we get home, and wake up in the morning to them both charged (and pre-heated at this time of year). It's not that we can't manage as is, it's just not as convenient as it should be. I figure that over time our situation will be less of an edge case and become the norm.
phil4 said:
We've two EV's and two chargers... albeit rarely use one of them.
If they were both EVs I can absolutely see that. With one being a PHEV it needs to sip electrons little and often - if it ain't plugged in each night we may as well have got an ICE! 
JD said:
Following with interest.
Also not sure how to get Octopus to interact with both vehicles?
I was wondering if it's possible via having one car connected to Octopus, and one charger? (but understand not many cars are compatible)
Is that with one charger or two?Also not sure how to get Octopus to interact with both vehicles?
I was wondering if it's possible via having one car connected to Octopus, and one charger? (but understand not many cars are compatible)
If it's one, just set Octopus to control the charger (not the car) with vehicle with the larger vehicle battery logged on the Octopus app.
Ultimately, Octopus will not know if it's a car with a 20kWh battery at 0%, or a car with a 60kWh battery at 66%, it's still push the option for the full 60kWh charge as it will not know what the vehicle actually needs, but will provide the 20kWh needed in either case to hit 100%.
amstrange1 said:
Ledaig said:
What's the problem you have with the current setup?
Swapping between cars in the evening means getting off my arse and switching the lead over. When it's raining and cold I'd rather just push a button on an app, or better still, just let the charger sort it automatically. Probably will only happen 3 times a week, but it's enough to be annoying.
Ledaig said:
Is that with one charger or two?
If it's one, just set Octopus to control the charger (not the car) with vehicle with the larger vehicle battery logged on the Octopus app.
Ultimately, Octopus will not know if it's a car with a 20kWh battery at 0%, or a car with a 60kWh battery at 66%, it's still push the option for the full 60kWh charge as it will not know what the vehicle actually needs, but will provide the 20kWh needed in either case to hit 100%.
Will be 2 chargers, will have one either side of the house. currently have 1 Zappi but have Octopus connected to the Car(Tesla). will be getting the second EV in the next few months and whatever second charger seems relevant at the time.If it's one, just set Octopus to control the charger (not the car) with vehicle with the larger vehicle battery logged on the Octopus app.
Ultimately, Octopus will not know if it's a car with a 20kWh battery at 0%, or a car with a 60kWh battery at 66%, it's still push the option for the full 60kWh charge as it will not know what the vehicle actually needs, but will provide the 20kWh needed in either case to hit 100%.
I am also a 1 PHEV and 1 EV household albeit with a 10 year old non smart tethered wall box.
The PHEV is plugged in most days and the EV maybe once every 10-14 days. I haven't encountered a problem with charger availability so far, over the last few years. You just need to plan ahead.
We use the scheduled charging settings via the in car infotainment screen in each car to set them to only charge between midnight and 5am. If anything needs overriding or changing without being bothered to go outside then we use the car specific apps for remote control.
If both cars need charging on the same day, then the PHEV will get an immediate charge and then swap the cable over (with little hassle) for the EV to get the cheap rate overnight charge.
The PHEV is plugged in most days and the EV maybe once every 10-14 days. I haven't encountered a problem with charger availability so far, over the last few years. You just need to plan ahead.
We use the scheduled charging settings via the in car infotainment screen in each car to set them to only charge between midnight and 5am. If anything needs overriding or changing without being bothered to go outside then we use the car specific apps for remote control.
If both cars need charging on the same day, then the PHEV will get an immediate charge and then swap the cable over (with little hassle) for the EV to get the cheap rate overnight charge.
JD said:
Will be 2 chargers, will have one either side of the house. currently have 1 Zappi but have Octopus connected to the Car(Tesla). will be getting the second EV in the next few months and whatever second charger seems relevant at the time.
Having a quick look online, the only current approach would seem to be:Set one charger to be controlled by Octopus to charge car A
Set the second charger as 'dumb' and use car B schedule to control the charging in the off-peak window of 11:30 to 05:30
I've no idea if this is against any of the OIG T&C's.
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