[A77EV6]

I had ordered the ocular through evse but I cancelled and went for the zappi. Had more modern features and an app, seemed more prepared for innovation.

I pick up the car on the 16th.

 

[Kent]

I had ordered the ocular through evse but I cancelled and went for the zappi. Had more modern features and an app, seemed more prepared for innovation.

I pick up the car on the 16th.

I'm thinking of picking up a portable 3 phase charger that EVSE have on their website. Get the full 3 phase 5 pin socket installed in my garage and I have a portable solution that charges at the full AC rate. Looking at the plugshare app, it's amazing how many places in Western Australia don't have dedicated EV chargers but do have access to a 3 phase plug they are willing to share.

 

[scanaloni]

Thanks Mark, yes I am with your dealer, well done you getting your order in so early; I am reassured to know those being delivered were ordered well before ,me and that you are happy with your purchase. I spoke to a guy today about installation of a three phase zappi charger in anticipation of a delivery sometime this year. I guess as you say it all happens quite quickly when your order falls due!. Would be interested to know if you have installed a smart charger?
Cheers, Loz

(It's Robert, actually, but all good!)

I had some interesting experiences with installing a charger. In January we were considering upgrading our solar system to add a battery, which we did in early Feb, as well as adding another inverter. So we have a 19.8kw 3-phase system, an 11.4kw battery and aren't capped out at 15kw generation anymore (though that's still our export limit at any one time). At that time, we discussed adding a three-phase charger knowing the car would be coming at some point. I had followed the Zappi's progress via the Fully Charged Show's excellent YouTube channel, but my solar man (who we like and knows what he's talking about) wasn't impressed with the device or the local support. So we left it up to him when we eventually ordered the upgrades and plumped for the charger at the same time.

The charger he installed (weeks before the car arrived!) was an Ocular Home three-phase unit. Since we were all somewhat uneducated, we assumed the setup would allow either the inverter metering or the car itself to regulate the charging speed (to hopefully use only excess solar). But actually when the car arrived, we discovered the Kia's charging amp reduction settings don't seem to work on 3-phase charging, so we're stuck charging at 11kw no matter what our solar generation.

Before the car arrived, I had signed up for ChargeHQ's beta program, which should manage the solar/grid consumption nicely... only to discover that the Ocular Home isn't OCPP compliant... so that option was already out.

I asked our installer to swap out the charger for an Ocular IQ smart charger (car arrival imminent) and he started out on some research. He came back to me recommending the Pulsar Plus (a global company with an ex-Tesla employee as one of the founders I believe?), and my own hunting around seemed to show it's a decent quality device and has a smart meter to monitor solar use (not charge clamps like the Zappi), as well as a "use green energy only" eco setting like the Zappi. Possibly with this arrangement, I wouldn't need ChargeHQ at all (though Jay had confirmed the Pulsar Plus will work), except...

... the Pulsar Plus eco-smart green only / use excess solar only setting also sees our home battery as "green energy" and will draw on it if we don't have 11kw full solar excess. That can work, as if I charge early enough in the day and a few clouds drop solar output, then the battery buffers that and gets topped up later in the day. Still nothing from the grid, unless it gets really cloudy, as the battery will top out at 4.8kw demand. But not ideal. And neither does the Pulsar Plus's "reduce charging current" function work if using the "eco-smart" settings (works perfectly if all energy sources incl grid are used though).

At this point, I was feeling a little stymied by every option, so decided to test the ChargeHQ management app. I put the Pulsar Plus into OCPP mode, entered settings and it all looks fine... but you guessed it, nothing happened! The charger stays locked, and ChargeHQ says "starting."

But a happy ending shouldn't be far away, as in my to-and-fro correspondence with Jay at ChargeHQ (who is fantastic! Shout out to Jay), we have discovered a non-standard authorisation setting where the Pulsar Plus in OCPP state defaults to an unauthorized state (ie the charger is locked) until the OCPP operator sends a signal, or the local device is unlocked with an RFID card or other payment system (this charger is also aimed at multiple installs where paying for a charge is available).

So in the next day or so (I hope), Jay should have a fix where the Pulsar Plus will be sent a remote "AuthEnabled" ping that should then remove my final obstacle.

So this is a long explanation to say that not all things are equal, or work as expected, and I've learned a lot about how this all works. And now have "Tesla app envy" as this type of setup is a cinch with a Tesla (ChargeHQ integrates directly with the Tesla app). Kia Australia have really dropped the ball with no Kia Connect installed (apparently model-midlife refreshes and new models are supposed to have it from late this year or early next). Controlling all of this from an app should be the norm in this day and age, esp a cutting-edge EV. When we test drove the Model X a few years ago in Brisbane on a baking hot day, the salesman had the aircon already running remotely from his app. Technically the Kia can do this if plugged in and on charge and with a departure time set, which is already a bit basic, and even more so if you can only set that up from inside the car (ie no app to configure it remotely). But these are early adopter issues (or first world problems!) and we still love the car, it's the best we've ever owned

 

[ronfacciol]

Well, some movement at last. My KIA dealer has informed me that "The status of your EV6 has moved from “unscheduled” to “scheduled for production”. " Not quite sure what it translates to in terms of delivery, but any upgrade from "unscheduled" has to be good........

 

[A77EV6]

Well, some movement at last. My KIA dealer has informed me that "The status of your EV6 has moved from “unscheduled” to “scheduled for production”. " Not quite sure what it translates to in terms of delivery, but any upgrade from "unscheduled" has to be good........

Approximately 2 months.

 

[ronfacciol]

Approximately 2 months.

Thanks

 

[Vinakro]

Well, some movement at last. My KIA dealer has informed me that "The status of your EV6 has moved from “unscheduled” to “scheduled for production”. " Not quite sure what it translates to in terms of delivery, but any upgrade from "unscheduled" has to be good........

Do you mind confirming your model/colour and dealership? Trying to piece together as much information as I can since my dealer isn't very responsive.

 

[ronfacciol]

Do you mind confirming your model/colour and dealership? Trying to piece together as much information as I can since my dealer isn't very responsive.

GT-Line RWD, snow-white pearl.
As to the dealer, I would rather not disclose publicly. Suffice it to say, that he is not THAT responsive and several emails went unanswered. I think they respond when they have any new information. Just make sure that they have submitted your order to head office - that is, your are one of the 500 initial orders.
It will be interesting with the looming launch of the new NIRO as to how they will manage their EV orders.

 

[buckgw]

ignore - entered something and couldn't delete it

 

[scanaloni]

Posting here for us Australians as it didn't seem worth it to start a new thread: Have you tried to use your internal V2L power socket yet? Worthwhile checking (it needs the manual key to turn the sliding cover to unlocked, so make sure you have your key with you). We're using our external V2L right now after discovering the internal one has a... UK-type socket! (see photo) Oops. Well it will be in for its 3,000km first checkup shortly so that's another thing going on the fix list!

Anyone else have this?

 

[Vinakro]

GT-Line RWD, snow-white pearl.
As to the dealer, I would rather not disclose publicly. Suffice it to say, that he is not THAT responsive and several emails went unanswered. I think they respond when they have any new information. Just make sure that they have submitted your order to head office - that is, your are one of the 500 initial orders.
It will be interesting with the looming launch of the new NIRO as to how they will manage their EV orders.

Yep, definitely got my order in.

Thanks for the confirmation. My dealer had 3 EV6s delivered in April, all were white, which implied they're producing by colour, but then on the EV6 Facebook group, quite a few have had an assortment of colours delivered, so was trying to figure out if there's any pattern.

 

[Rog M]

Posting here for us Australians as it didn't seem worth it to start a new thread: Have you tried to use your internal V2L power socket yet? Worthwhile checking (it needs the manual key to turn the sliding cover to unlocked, so make sure you have your key with you). We're using our external V2L right now after discovering the internal one has a... UK-type socket! (see photo) Oops. Well it will be in for its 3,000km first checkup shortly so that's another thing going on the fix list!

Anyone else have this?

View attachment 5475

Scanaloni you have been so unlucky. I just double checked my one after seeing your post. All good have Australia plug and it works.
On another note as we seem to be talking about issues here all of a sudden.
For anyone in Australia having the sound system suddenly not playing any sound I can confirm from my dealer Kia Australia is aware of the issue. The dealer said another EV6 they recently delivered had the same issue as me. If it is like the overseas country's it is a weird mute logic coding issue. But they have not confirmation a time for a fix.

 

[scanaloni]

Scanaloni you have been so unlucky. I just double checked my one after seeing your post. All good have Australia plug and it works.
On another note as we seem to be talking about issues here all of a sudden.
For anyone in Australia having the sound system suddenly not playing any sound I can confirm from my dealer Kia Australia is aware of the issue. The dealer said another EV6 they recently delivered had the same issue as me. If it is like the overseas country's it is a weird mute logic coding issue. But they have not confirmation a time for a fix.

Good to know it's not everywhere! 1st world problems of being an early adopter...

Mine sometimes doesn't play sound in Apple Car Play (display says it is; phone says it is, but nothing from the speakers). I just assumed it was a Carplay glitch - it resets easily if I unplug and replug the USB cable. No other sound problems though.

Tnx for checking the power socket

 

[warhead]

discovering the internal one has a... UK-type socket! (see photo) Oops.

Anyone else have this?

View attachment 5475

Just went out and checked my one and I have the correct Australian socket fitted. I can see several red stickers on the top and sides marked "C", perhaps this denotes what socket type is fitted?

 

[OzEV6]

Just went out and checked my one and I have the correct Australian socket fitted. I can see several red stickers on the top and sides marked "C", perhaps this denotes what socket type is fitted?

Is it a 15A socket? ie. Large earth pin?

 

[warhead]

Is it a 15A socket? ie. Large earth pin?

Actually now that you mention it, it looks like a standard 10A socket, but the label still says 16A max

 

[scanaloni]

Actually now that you mention it, it looks like a standard 10A socket, but the label still says 16A max

Thanks for checking! Glad mine looks like it's an isolated occurrence. Maybe they guessed my English roots

Obviously I don't have the Australian one fitted, but surely to deliver the claimed max 3.6kw, it would have to be 16A anyway? This thread seems to confirm that (mostly US-based, but they know what they're talking about).

V2L vs. Internal Power Outlet

V2L sure is cool, and I've seen videos of people using it to power vacuums, microwaves, etc etc. But - most of these things could just plug into the normal outlet. What's the difference? Does the outlet require the car to be "on"? I'm also assuming the V2L has higher output?

www.kiaevforums.com

 

[warhead]

... but surely to deliver the claimed max 3.6kw, it would have to be 16A anyway?

I can't think of anything that will need more than a standard 10A plug that I'd want to use inside the car. Outside the car as long as the V2L has a 15A socket (I haven't checked!) then that's much more useful; air compressors, welders, pressure washers, toaster oven...

 

[ronfacciol]

I have just heard from my dealer - my car is on a ship (Jupiter Saturn) and will be available towards the end of the month or early next month. GT-line RWD Pearl white.
I had put my deposit down in early February, so that was not such a long wait......

 

[ronfacciol]

Sorry - the vessel is Jupiter Spirit.