FAQs
kWh not updating in-app during session
- The mobile or web application does not display the progress of your car's charging session in real-time. The ChargeLab app will show the updated kilowatt-hour (kWh) number once the session is completed. If the session data is not updating and the Charging status is no longer visible, we suggest checking your vehicle as it may have been disconnected or there could be a connection problem.
Charging speed is slow
Your charging speed will be affected by several variables:- Your vehicle: Your car is only able to accept a maximum charging speed on both AC (Level 2) and DC (Level 3) chargers. On Level 2 chargers, some cars will max out at accepting 7.7kW, while others can handle up to 22kW on a Level 2. On Level 3 chargers, some older cars can handle up to 50kW of power, while others can handle up to 350kW! This means that if a car that can handle a max of 50kW is plugged into a charger that can dispense 100kW of power, the car’s max charging speed will only ever get to 50kW. Check your handbook to see your car’s maximum rate of charge.
- Your charger: Chargers have different power ratings. At peak charging speed, your car will charge at either the maximum kW rating of the charger, or the maximum handleable rate of your car, whichever is lower. A Level 3 (DC) charger will charge more quickly than a Level 2 (AC) charger, and both of these will charge more quickly than a Level 1 charger. Even within these categories, you will have different speeds, so make sure you check the charger rating!
- Power managed charging: If your charger is part of a group of chargers in a power management group, increasing the number of chargers in its group may reduce the rate at which your car is charging.
- Battery temperature: Very cold or very hot weather conditions can affect the temperature of your battery, which will cause your car to interact differently with the chargers. For instance, your car may limit the allowable power, or simply take longer to accept a charge. Expect that your car will need more time for a charge, particularly below 4 degrees Celsius as the battery may be cold. As your battery heats up in hot weather, your car will automatically slow down the speed at which the battery accepts power. The optimum temperature for EV car charging is between 10 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius.
Charging curve: You may notice that if your car above 80%, the rate of charging may slow down. This is normal behaviour! A charging curve is typically engineered by each manufacturer to protect the vehicle and battery and ensure user safety while optimizing the speed of charge. What this means is that your car may accept a charging speed at varying rates. Generally speaking, the last 20% of charging requires slowly cooling the battery. The speed of charge can decrease so drastically in this windows that it can take nearly as long to charge a battery from 85% to 100% as it does to charge from 10% to 80%. For this reason, charging etiquette suggests only charging to 80%-85% and then moving on so that a charger can be opened up quickly for the next driver.
Outside of these variables, it is possible that there is an issue with the charger itself.