[VoltFish]

Pulling this question out of another thread where I was asking about if there is a way to meter electricity used per charge from inside the car. Since that doesn't seem to be possible I'm looking at other options.

Does any major brand make a L2 EVSE that has an integrated kWh meter? I'm needing to track how much power I use from a shared power company meter. Right now the only solution looks like I need to have an actual separate meter wired into my EVSE circuit but the meter and installation both adds a few hundred dollars to the install and also results in a separate box mounted on the wall just for the meter. It would be nice if I could just get a EVSE with a built in screen of some sort that shows the lifetime kWh so I can just record the reading on the first of each month or something and determine how much I owe.

I know this can be done by some custom build units but I'd really like to just find a major brand that already has it built in if possible.

 

[TSquare]

My Blink EVSE, that I got 4 years ago, has a web interface that allows me to download the charging data for each charge. I don't know if the current models still do this.
They don't make 'em like this any more.

 

[Dakster]

My Volt is now gone, but I used to be able to download my charging KWH on the Volt website. (not the Volt Onstar app on my smart phone though). Can you not do that anymore?

I do NOT advise using a Kill-A-Watt meter (even though I did briefly) they really can't handle that high amperage over the long term. It's OK to check and see what it is pulling. Several here have had "melt downs" using it.

 

[gecd]

My charger

 

[mczajka]

I've been waiting for this item to ship. I participated in the Kickstarter...

https://emotorwerks.com/store-juice...smart-ev-charging-adapter/category_pathway-23

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emw/juiceplug-a-universal-smart-ev-charging-adapter/description

 

[bro1999]

I've been waiting for this item to ship. I participated in the Kickstarter...

https://emotorwerks.com/store-juice...smart-ev-charging-adapter/category_pathway-23

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/emw/juiceplug-a-universal-smart-ev-charging-adapter/description

I'm also waiting....supposedly shipping sometime this month. I'll be happy if I get it by the end of the year.

 

[ClarksonCote]

ChargePoint Home measures power consumption through their internet connected interface. It tells you how many kWh each charge consumed. The problem (for some) is that it rounds to the nearest kWh, which can defeat the utility of such a meter.

 

[srs5694]

I don't own one, so I can't comment on it from personal experience, but it's my understanding that JuiceBox "Smart" models include Wi-Fi-accessible metering data. I believe they're hawking that feature for other manufacturers to use, too; IIRC, some Clipper Creek models now include the same functionality.

 

[bro1999]

I don't own one, so I can't comment on it from personal experience, but it's my understanding that JuiceBox "Smart" models include Wi-Fi-accessible metering data. I believe they're hawking that feature for other manufacturers to use, too; IIRC, some Clipper Creek models now include the same functionality.

Yep, and the "Juiceplug" will allow you to track kWh usage with any charging station, as long as it has a J1772 plug. Even if there is no wifi connection, it will save charging data and upload it whenever it connects to wifi.

 

[Loboc]

Alternative is to negotiate a flat fee with the meter owner. They might like that better anyway. Guaranteed $50/mo (or whatever).

Could use EV miles from VoltStats for a baseline.

 

[bjrosen]

Here's a suggested solution

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/meter-attached-to-my-evse.70449/

 

[Ralph7]

Just use the basic mode for the Charge Point charger, but it "knows" how much electricity I used.

 

[markh21518]

Replace the guts with OpenEVSE mine is a very old openEVSE and it is still charging day after day. The New OpenEVSE will give you WiFi and kWh measurements. Store.openevse.org

 

[wordptom]

Note that it can be difficult to know exactly what it is your power use reports are telling you, so before you spend money on charger installations, be sure to understand which of the assortment of available numbers will fill the need you have for knowing them.

I, too, have an internet-connected Blink charger, installed on my garage wall shortly after I bought my 2012 Volt in April of that year. I downloaded some recent Blink data and compared three days of their data to data for the same days downloaded from the MyVolt website.

For the full charge on 10/30
MyVolt reported 4.43 kWh
Blink reported 4.502.

For 10/31, MyVolt reported 5.25 kWh
Blink reported 5.342

For 11/1, MyVolt reported 5.68 kWh
Blink reported 5.771.

The Blink data is drawn from the use of the Blink station mounted on my garage wall, and one would think it represents the amount of power that left the grid and went into the car through the charger circuits. The small numbers reflect that I rarely drive more than a half-battery charge around town on any given day.

The MyVolt data is drawn from OnStar-supplied data, as reported by the car itself. The smaller numbers suggest it might not include some losses from charging circuits within the car itself that are included in data drawn from the charging unit on the wall.

Another method of estimating your daily power consumption is using the end of day "kWh Used" number to calculate the amount of grid power needed to fully recharge a battery. Because of charging circuit losses, this number is greater than the "kWh Used" number. The factors that influence the calculation are varied (e.g., 120 v vs 240 v), but numbers I’ve heard are: needed grid power = ~120% of kWh Used, or perhaps = kWh Used/~80%.

My notes show I arrived home on 10/28 with the display showing 3.8 kWh Used. The MyVolt report shows a 10/28 pm full charge of 3.75 kWh. The Blink report indicates 3.828 kWh. Both reports reflect the "rounded off" kWh Used number. Neither report indicates the power drawn from the grid was measurably greater than the kWh Used that day.

As I said, choose which number serves your needs. The Blink data is limited to charges made using that one charger unit (perhaps it could also include data from any Blink public charger used), but the website stores the charger’s history so my download included my selection of all of 2016's data. The MyVolt website, which requires an OnStar subscription, is sometimes iffy about having the downloaded data available, and of course is measuring power flow within the car’s circuits, not through the wall socket, but it does include all charging done at any location. The math calculation based on the kWh Used number is but approximate.