Electrifying your drive with Tibber's latest upgrade!

What exactly is Smart Charging?

Let's break it down: Picture yourself scoring cheaper energy prices during those delightful wee hours when most sane folks are sound asleep. Sounds like a dream, huh? Well, that's Smart Charging for you! No more sneaking out in your PJs and bunny slippers to plug in your EV – we've got your back!

But hold onto your charging cable, because Tibber's latest version of Smart Charging isn't just about convenience – it's about putting the power back in your hands (or wheels, rather). We're talking more insights, more control, and more fun than a rollercoaster ride through the energy market!

So, What's New in Smart Charging?

While the basics remain the same (we're still the energy-savvy superhero of your charging routine), we've added some seriously cool features to the mix. Say hello to a car-centric approach that puts your ride front and center! Whether you're rocking an integrated charger or not, your car is the boss now.

To get to know the new Smart Charging even more, we had a sit down with Mr. Smart Charging himself, Tobias Aspenberg, our Product Director.

– The new Smart Charging has a car-centric approach to charging. It is always the car that is Smart Charging, regardless of whether you use a charger to control the charging or not, and that is exactly what we have updated, Tobias says.

All settings for Smart Charging, such as departure time and battery level, are now always made through the car's Power-up in the Tibber app, instead of the settings of the integrated charger. This makes it smarter for families with more than one electric car on the driveway by their house. 

Tobias explains:

– For those with an integrated charger, all settings were previously managed through the charger's Power-up. But no matter which car you wanted to charge, it was always the same settings, such as departure time and desired battery level. Now the tables have turned. By managing all settings through the car's Power-up, you can still use an integrated charger but have different departure times for all the EV’s in your family.

Introducing the Smart Charging Plan

Have you ever wished you could peek behind the charging curtain and see exactly when and how your car gets its juice? Well, now you can! Our Smart Charging Plan gives you the inside scoop on your charging sessions – from start times to energy requirements to estimated costs. It's like having your very own energy guru whispering sweet savings into your ear!

– We wanted to give our customers even more transparency in their charging. With the new Smart Charging, you can see exactly during which hours we have planned to start and end your charging session, how much energy the car needs and the calculated price for the session," Tobias says.

Now, if you drive an EV and have Smart Charging activated, you will be able to see exactly which hours the charging of your car is planned to, and you will be able to see it in relation to the energy price. With that, you can double-check that we are doing the job right and hitting the cheapest hours. Of course, as before, it all depends on when you put the charging cable in the car and your set departure time. If those activities are very close together and in the middle of the day, the likelihood is that the charging session will be a bit more expensive. 

Tobias continues:

– A Smart Charging Plan is always set up based on how much energy your car needs, the historical charging speed, the departure time and the spot prices for the upcoming hours. Depending on other large consumers in your home, the Smart Charging Plan might change and slow down the speed of your charging making it run over a longer period of time. This is if you have a Tibber Pulse – then it will balance your home and make sure the main fuse doesn’t blow.

What’s the difference for me as a customer and will I notice it?

The main difference for you as a customer is if you have an integrated charger – a Zaptec, Wallbox or easee that is. Before, you would handle all of the settings in the Power-up of your charger. Now, everything is set up in the Power-up of your car. This is whether you have an integrated, or a non-integrated car.

If I have a non-integrated car, can I still Smart Charge my EV?

In our opinion, Smart Charging should be available to everyone. There are two types of cars in our app, integrated and non-integrated. An integrated car means that we can communicate directly with the car's data and battery level. A "non-integrated” car means that we can't communicate directly with your car, but you can still Smart Charge.

– If you have a non-integrated car, a car that we cannot communicate with directly, we manage the charging via a Power-up for non-integrated cars. There you can tell us how much you want your battery to charge, when you want the car to be ready and what the battery level is right now. However, to be able to Smart Charge your non-integrated car, you need an integrated charger, Tobias explains.

Bottom line, if you have a non-integrated car, you can still charge your car smart, but you need an integrated charging box (Zaptec, Wallbox or easee, more coming soon). In the app, select a non-integrated car from all the smart Power-ups, and add your charger. All of the Smart Charging settings are managed through the car's Power-up.

I have an integrated car, why should I buy an integrated charger?

The million dollar question, is it worth buying an integrated charger if I already have an integrated car? Here is the easy answer – oui!

– The charger is normally more reliable in its communication. Many car manufacturers have not yet caught up with keeping cars connected to apps every second. An integrated charger is connected to Tibber in real time, which means we continuously get all the information we need. And that in itself makes it much easier to control the charging session than it is to control the charging via the car. So it's a more reliable charging session if it's done directly in communication with the charger instead of the car," Tobias says.

With an integrated charger and Tibber Pulse, we can also help load balance your home so that your main fuse doesn't blow. If we notice that you are approaching the maximum capacity of your main fuse, we reduce the speed of your charging session, so you can cook, vacuum, wash and start the sauna at the same time – without a drop of sweat.

I’ve had problems in the past with my car starting to charge when I plug in the car, why does this happen?

Do you have an integrated car without an integrated charging box? Then this might be the answer. We love talking to your car, and we wish we could do it more often. Right now, we communicate with your car every 15 minutes. So if you plug in your car and you see the charging session starting, there's no need to panic. We'll talk to your car shortly (within 15 minutes) and ask it to hold off on charging until the cheapest hours have arrived. 

A small reminder, if your car's current battery is lower than the minimum in the app, the car will always be charged right away until it reaches your minimum battery level. 

Tobias' tips for Smart Charging:

1. Go integrated: An integrated charger means smoother sailing for your charging sessions. Plus, it's more reliable than your favorite pair of socks!

2. Load balance your home: With a Tibber Pulse, you can keep your home's energy in check – no more blowing fuses or sweaty sauna sessions (unless you're into that sort of thing).

3. Plug in ASAP: Remember, the early bird catches the cheapest energy prices! So, whip out that charging cable as soon as you get home, and let the savings begin!

Ready to Get Smart? Here's What You Need:

In a nutshell: a car integrated with Tibber or an integrated charger. And hey, if you've got both, even better! Oh, and don't forget to snag yourself an energy deal with Tibber – because what's the point of Smart Charging without the smarts, right?

So, there you have it, folks – the new Smart Charging. Buckle up and let's drive into the future together!