Does your vehicle start charging immediately even though Smart Charging is enabled? This may be due to your minimum charge level setting.
Here is what this setting means and how it differs from your target charge level.
What is the minimum charge level?
The minimum charge level determines how far your vehicle initially charges immediately.
If your current battery level is below this setting, your vehicle charges to that level first. StromNow does not wait for a lower-priced charging period for this part of the session.
Smart Charging then takes over planning the remaining charge.
Why do we recommend 20%?
Setting the minimum to 20% provides an initial charge. Any additional charging you need can then be planned intelligently.
A higher minimum leaves less charging for Smart Charging to schedule. We therefore recommend 20% as a starting point, unless you need more range straight away.
This recommendation relates to charging scheduling. It is not a general recommendation for the ideal battery level of your particular vehicle.
What happens with a minimum of 20% or 80%?
Suppose your battery is at 15% when you plug in and your target charge level is 80%:
Setting | Immediate charging | What happens next? |
Minimum charge level: 20% | From 15% to 20% | Smart Charging plans the remaining charge towards your target. |
Minimum charge level: 80% | From 15% to 80% | Your target has already been reached through immediate charging. |
An 80% minimum charge level is therefore different from an 80% target charge level.
Where can I change the setting?
Open the Home Charging section of the StromNow app.
Select the minimum charge level setting.
Choose your preferred level. Our recommendation for Smart Charging is 20%.
Check your target charge level and departure time separately.
Will my vehicle stop charging at 20%?
In this setting, 20% is not an upper limit for the entire charging session.
Charging may pause after the minimum level has been reached. Further charging follows the Smart Charging plan and your separately configured target charge level.
What if my battery is already above 20%?
The initial charge to the minimum level is not needed. Further charging follows the Smart Charging plan.
This does not necessarily mean your vehicle will pause. An immediate start may also fit the planned charging period.
For setup instructions, see Smart Charging with StromNow.