Didn't charge last night!?!

[davewill]

... One of the problems with using the timers is that you don't get that immediate feedback, which is why I've gone to immediate charging...

Of course you do. If using a LEAF timer you get cycling dash lights, and if using the Blink's you get a countdown to charge. It's very clear when you've plugged in.

[garygid]

Yes, the 2 most commom Blink-use problems:

1. Getting the "nozzle" plugged into the car sufficiently well (far in).

2. Needing to reboot (Power completely OFF, wait, Power back ON) the Blink after some software push/update.

[davewill]

The only Blink failure scenario I'm aware of that can cause the car to not get charged is a spontaneous reboot that interrupts a charge in progress when you're using either the timer override button, or a LEAF timer with only a start time specified. After the reboot, the charge doesn't resume. If not that, I agree that it probably didn't get plugged in successfully.

[SanDust]

Of course you do. If using a LEAF timer you get cycling dash lights, and if using the Blink's you get a countdown to charge. It's very clear when you've plugged in.

Yes, you're right. Having given up on timers a while ago, I completely forgot about the lights. The problem with the series of sequential flashing lights is that it only tells you that charging may start at some point in the future. It doesn't tell you "when" the charging will start or "how long" it will continue. If you start charging whenever you plug in you can be absolutely sure you'll charge to either 80% or 100%, absent some catastrophic breakdown, which I haven't heard of. Using timed chargers simply introduces another failure point.

There is a reason why electronic devices don't use timers for charging. Too fussy. Too clumsy. Too bothersome to change in special circumstances. Nothing is simpler and more intuitive and less prone to error than just plugging in and having the device start charging. You plug in. You get the confirmation. The charger starts humming. And you're guaranteed to have it work.

[planet4ever]

Nothing is simpler and more intuitive and less prone to error than just plugging in and having the device start charging.

Yes, and if you are in my situation (TOU billing) you pay an extra 7 to 18 cents for every kWh you use. I'll stick with the timers, thank you.

Ray

[derkraut]

Nothing is simpler and more intuitive and less prone to error than just plugging in and having the device start charging.

Yes, and if you are in my situation (TOU billing) you pay an extra 7 to 18 cents for every kWh you use. I'll stick with the timers, thank you.

Ray

Different strokes for different folks. My situation is similar to planetforever's. My peak rate under TOU is $0.38+ per KWH, while super off peak is $.06+ per KWH. Unless it's an emergency, I will always charge on the Leaf timers from midnight-5AM.

[opencar]

The only Blink failure scenario I'm aware of that can cause the car to not get charged is a spontaneous reboot that interrupts a charge in progress when you're using either the timer override button, or a LEAF timer with only a start time specified. After the reboot, the charge doesn't resume. If not that, I agree that it probably didn't get plugged in successfully.

i've had an occurrence where i got partially charged so there is a scenario that could impact a normal timer charge despite good plugin and start & stop specified. blink guy told me that there is a slim chance that when an interruption occurs (power outage?) and subsequent loss of network connectivity, then charging would not be restarted despite a valid charging timer setup.

[DeaneG]

Like I said, after a failed charge against a start-time-only Leaf timer, my Blink failed to charge manually at all the next day (with the Leaf's timer overridden and just plugging in the nozzle), until I rebooted the Blink. The Nissan 120V EVSE charged the Leaf fine after the failed Blink charge attempts, which gave me the idea to reboot the Blink.

[Volusiano]

My Blink is very unreliable, even with the latest firmware 1.6A. I need to power cycle it almost on a daily basis due to all kinds of problem with charging. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if my Blink fails to provide the necessary charge when my Leaf timer kicks in. Also all the failures on my Blink are inconsistent and not easily reproducible, although they do repeat themselves often.

Because of this, I don't trust it and must make sure it's operational when the Leaf timer kicks in. Fortunately, my off peak summer hour starts at 8pm, so I'm able to confirm that it works before I have to go to bed.

[walterbays]

Different strokes for different folks. My situation is similar to planetforever's. My peak rate under TOU is $0.38+ per KWH, while super off peak is $.06+ per KWH. Unless it's an emergency, I will always charge on the Leaf timers from midnight-5AM.

+1, though my TOU rate spread isn't quite as extreme as yours. I have a start and end time set on the Leaf, immediate charging set on the Blink, and I have never had it fail to charge. It has always finished well within the super-off-peak time, though if it needed more time it's allowed to charge an extra hour of off-peak from 5am to 6am. I've never needed to charge other than overnight.

However I wouldn't worry about giving it an extra hour or two of charge if I think I might need it. Half an hour more charging in the morning raises the charge from 83% to 92%, still low enough to get some regenerative braking benefit, but possibly just enough to give peace of mind from range anxiety if some extra trips are on the agenda. (My range anxiety steadily lessens as time goes on, and it's proven over and over to be without basis.)

Miles driven on off-peak charge are twice as expensive, but still cost just 4 cents a mile. And if a peak charge would make a trip practical in the Leaf, that would still cost considerably less than the alternative of driving the gas burner.