Understanding your EV Charge Settings

Charge Settings is where you tell Optiwatt how to manage your EV's charging. Once your vehicle is connected, you can access Charge Settings from your vehicle's page in the app. Here's a complete guide to each setting.

How to Access Charge Settings

1. Click Devices in the left navigation menu
2. Select your EV from the device cards at the top
3. Click the Settings tab
4. Scroll down to the Charge Settings section

The Charge Settings Toggle

At the top of the Charge Settings section is a master toggle. When this is on (blue), Optiwatt will automatically manage your vehicle's charging based on your goals, limits, and schedule. When turned off, Optiwatt will stop sending charging commands and your vehicle will charge according to its own built-in schedule.

We recommend keeping this toggle on to get the full benefit of smart charging and any utility program rewards you're enrolled in.

Limits

The Limits setting lets you control the minimum and maximum charge level Optiwatt will target for your vehicle.

• Charge Minimum — The battery level your car will be charged to immediately upon being plugged in. This is a safety buffer. Default is 20%.
• Charge Limit — The maximum battery level your car will reach by your departure time. Default is 80%.

Use the sliders to adjust each value. The screen also shows the equivalent range in miles for your specific vehicle. Tap Submit to save your changes.

How it works: When you plug in, Optiwatt will immediately charge your car up to the Charge Minimum. It will then wait for the cheapest or cleanest charging window (depending on your Goals settings) to charge your car up to the Charge Limit by your Ready By time.

Goals

Goals tell Optiwatt what to optimize for when deciding when to charge. You can enable one or both:

• Save the Planet — Optiwatt charges your car when the electrical grid is running on the highest proportion of renewable energy (solar, wind), minimizing your CO₂ footprint.
• Save Money — Optiwatt charges your car during the cheapest available rates based on your utility plan. If you're on a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate, this means charging overnight during off-peak hours.

Both goals can be active at the same time. When both are enabled, Optiwatt balances the two objectives. Tap Compare Goals to see a side-by-side explanation of how each works.

Schedule

The Schedule setting lets you set daily departure times so Optiwatt knows when your car needs to be ready. There are two scheduling modes:

Ready By (Recommended)

Set the time you plan to leave on each day of the week. Optiwatt will work backward from that time to ensure your car reaches its Charge Limit before you depart, while still charging during the cheapest or cleanest window possible.

This is the recommended mode for most drivers because it gives Optiwatt the most flexibility to find the best charging window.

Start Charge

Set the earliest time you'd like charging to begin each day. Optiwatt will optimize your charging within the window between this time and your Ready By time.

To activate either mode, toggle it on and select your preferred times for each day of the week. Days can be set independently — for example, you might set an earlier Ready By time on weekdays than weekends.

Trips

The Trips feature lets you schedule upcoming one-time events where you need your car fully charged by a specific date and time — like a road trip, early morning flight, or long commute day. Optiwatt will automatically ensure your battery reaches your Charge Limit by the trip's departure time, even if it falls outside your normal schedule.

To add a trip, click a date on the calendar and enter the departure time and your desired charge level.

Device Settings

The Device Settings section above Charge Settings contains two additional options:

• Capabilities — Shows the permissions Optiwatt has for your vehicle (e.g., vehicle information, charging management, Virtual Key status for Tesla). This is also where Tesla users can manage their Virtual Key pairing.
• Connectivity — Shows the connectivity status of your vehicle's integration.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Charge Settings

• Always set a Ready By time for the days you drive. This is the single most important setting for ensuring your car is charged when you need it.
• If you're enrolled in a utility program, keep Charge Settings toggled on. Turning it off may affect your eligibility for program rewards.
• If your car charged during peak hours unexpectedly, check that your Ready By time gives Optiwatt enough overnight window to charge during off-peak rates.

Have questions? Contact us at [e-mail].