Rivian Smart Charging Arrives in Next OTA Software Update

[JR1T]

The only smart charging feature I need is the ability to set the time I want the truck to be at XX% charge, and then the truck do the math based on the max charging rate of the truck. That way the truck doesn't sit at a high SoC for long periods of time the night before I take a trip.

I feel like ToU charging can already be handled with manual scheduling, unless you have multiple times a day where the rate drops.

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[Dave Cundiff]

I don't have ToU pricing from our utility district -- same price 24/7.

To minimize battery heating, I generally back-calculate from the target charge level and time to whenever the charging session starts, then choose the slowest charge rate that will achieve the target.

I don't know if that's better for the batteries, or worse, or about the same when compared to @JR1T's practice of starting later with a faster charge rate. My way has more area under the State of Charge curve, while his way has higher battery temperatures at the time the battery reaches a (presumably high) state of charge.

Comments from knowledgeable people? Thanks!

 

[HaveBlue]

California is particularly bad for those on So Cal Edison or SDGE. I'm lucky to be in a flat rate area... for now.

 

[tjrivian]

I feel like ToU charging can already be handled with manual scheduling, unless you have multiple times a day where the rate drops.

Multiple times per day and different time periods on weekends vs. weekdays are the two areas where the current implementation of scheduled charging fails. Hopefully this new update fixes both of them.

 

[RivAW]

Meh...it makes something one can already do (if you even have "off-peak rates" available as an option) a little more automated. Doesn't seem overly useful.
Still waiting on a simple PIN to drive, a reasonable valet/guest driver mode, and bug fixes (my HVAC never comes back on where it was left and the front windshield defogger is both useless and buggy)...

 

[HaveBlue]

I have an Autel charger so it has everything under the sun bulit in including linking with utility rates, schedules and even reselling to let the public use it. Why someone would buy the Rivian charger with zero features for more money is beyond me.

 

[Andy Wallace]

Will it take solar into account?

 

[tate16t]

The new iOS app was released that supposedly includes this new smart charging feature.

 

[tjrivian]

When will they update this to support multiple super-off-peak times per day? SDGE has updated their TOU rate plans to have both a 12am-6am AND 10pm-2pm, every day all-year round. This "smart schedule" charging should be able to handle this. My dumb PHEV jeep allows me to manually set a schedule that works for these multiple time periods, there's no reason that my much more expensive Rivian can't support this.

 

[tate16t]

This sounds like it would be useful. Is this feature something Rivian promised? If not, you can make a request by submitting feedback via the mobile app. The feedback option exists on the homepage at the bottom.

 

[tjrivian]

Have they explicitly promised "multiple daily TOU periods"? - NO. But they tout how much their partnership with Weavegrid will make charging "smarter". https://riviantrackr.com/news/rivia...ng-smarter-cheaper-charging-to-your-driveway/

This solution is clearly less capable and less "smarter" than what other vehicles offer. It was shocking that it took a few years for Rivian to go from having just a single schedule that applies to all days, to Weavegrid which at least allows different schedules for weekdays vs. weekends. Hopefully it won't take them another few years to implement multiple TOU periods in the same day.

 

[Rade]

We have one rate every day.

We do, too... and it sucks. $0.25kw

But our region is now in solar positive season, and I am using the onboard scheduler to only charge the Rivian during peak power generation time.

 

[tate16t]

Have they explicitly promised "multiple daily TOU periods"? - NO. But they tout how much their partnership with Weavegrid will make charging "smarter". https://riviantrackr.com/news/rivia...ng-smarter-cheaper-charging-to-your-driveway/

This solution is clearly less capable and less "smarter" than what other vehicles offer. It was shocking that it took a few years for Rivian to go from having just a single schedule that applies to all days, to Weavegrid which at least allows different schedules for weekdays vs. weekends. Hopefully it won't take them another few years to implement multiple TOU periods in the same day.

Weavegrid provides the TOU information that Rivian takes advantage of and displays to you via the app UI. Does the Rivian app display the two new time periods provided by SDGE? If not, the issue may be between Weavegrid and SDGE.

Rivian’s implementation does provide a smarter charging platform for those who are not aware of their TOU rates. It is smarter than it was prior to the Weavegrid implementation.

Submit a request to Rivian to update their app UI to allow multiple time periods to be scheduled.

 

[tjrivian]

Submitted feedback to Rivian. Doubtful it will help since I submitted the same things months ago, but worth a shot I guess. This isn't really a "new" thing for SDGE. SDGE has always had two distinct super-off-peak periods daily. It's just that previously they only had it in March/April, and now they've expanded it to be in effect all year.

 

[Time2Roll]

Timer with multiple time slots is not smart. Mechanical timers did this 70+ years ago.

Smart would be maybe timers based on location. Or communicate with my home solar to project how much power can be used to avoid export or not depleting the home battery.

At least let me set the end time and the vehicle controls when to start and maybe even how fast to charge while still avoiding peak rates. Time estimate within 30 minutes would be fine.

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