Photo Credit: iStockWith a little ingenuity, an electric vehicle driver in Denmark gave a basic EV charger some pretty smart features.Specifically, the driver configured their system to charge their EV only to 50% when electricity is expensive, then wait for off-peak rates to charge the battery fully.Here's what to knowThe Denmark-based EV driver shared their experience in a post on Reddit's r/HomeAssistant, saying they used a Home Assistant blueprint to give a basic EV charger much smarter features. The original poster shared the blueprint and asked others to test it.The Home Assistant blueprint shared on Reddit follows this routine: "Plug in the car and it charges straight away to an immediate target (e.g. 50 %). Then it pauses, finds the cheapest contiguous window in the next N hours that is long enough to reach the final target (e.g. 85 %), and resumes when that window starts."The idea behind the OP's setup is to ensure the EV maintains an adequate charge at any given time, while waiting for energy to be cheaper to top off.For EV owners on hourly electricity pricing, that kind of timing shift could add up to meaningful savings on power bills.The OP's system even has advantages over so-called smart chargers, which, unlike Home Assistant, cannot read an EV's battery levels.More backgroundAnother advantage of the OP's setup is that it may work with charging hardware people already own.The setup is compatible with any chargers or cars that Home Assistant can start and stop, including systems from Easee, Zaptec, Wallbox, go-e, Monta, Clever, and most EVs. That means some owners may not need to buy a more expensive charger just to get price-aware charging.There are a few warnings to keep in mind. The blueprint says users should turn off any native smart-charging features already active in the charger or car. Otherwise, "two systems control the same charger and work against each other – e.g. the charger holds off while the blueprint wants to charge."It also notes that many car integrations refresh battery data only every few minutes, so charging can overshoot the intended target by a few percentage points.The blueprint includes a few fallback protections as well. A master switch can shut the routine off entirely and return the car to normal charging behavior, and the system avoids making a pricing decision if the battery sensor is unavailable at plug-in.Where can I learn more?Home charging is getting smarter as more drivers look for ways to cut costs and add convenience. These articles cover charging algorithms, home charger setups, driver preferences, fueling-cost comparisons, and charger reliability.• Researchers are testing a smart-charging system that shifts EV demand away from costly peaks.• At home, drivers are weighing Level 2 charger installations to speed up everyday charging.• Tesla owners say home charger setups are becoming a bigger part of daily EV life.• A Yale analysis shows EV charging costs still undercut gasoline by a wide margin.• ChargePoint is rolling out charger reliability tools aimed at keeping more stations working.Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
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