While EV chargers are designed for reliability, like any technology, they’re not immune to the occasional hiccup. The good news? Most issues are minor, easily resolved, and often preventable. Below are four common problems you might encounter, along with simple steps to get you back to charging in no time.
1. Power Outage: What You Can Do When Your EV Charger Loses Power
Power outages happen for a variety of reasons, including weather, grid failures, or scheduled maintenance. When they occur, your EV charger will go offline, typically resulting in a blank or unresponsive screen. In most cases, once power is restored, the charger will reboot automatically and resume operation as usual.
If the charger isn’t booting up, here’s what you can do:
- Rest assured, Chargie is already in communication with your property management, working to address power loss issues.
- Be patient. EV chargers will not work without power, so ensure power is completely restored before trying to charge.
- If needed, try finding an alternative location to charge in the meantime.
- If you’d like, feel free to reach out to Chargie support for any available updates.
Pro tip: Wait about thirty minutes after power is restored before trying to charge. This gives the system time to reconnect and reboot fully.
2. Low Cellular Signal: How to Start Charging Remotely
In some parking garages or underground lots, poor cell signal can prevent the Chargie app from initiating a charging session. If this occurs, there’s a simple workaround.
Here’s what to do:
- Plug in your vehicle, ensuring that the station screen shows Preparing.
- Take note of the unique, 5-digit station ID (clearly labeled on the unit).
- Move to an area with better signal.
- Open the Chargie app and start your session from there remotely.
It may feel strange to walk away before starting the charge, but as long as the car is securely plugged in and showing Preparing, the session can begin remotely without any problems.
Pro tip: When logged in, the Chargie app saves recent charging locations for quick access, making it that much easier to charge remotely from the same station.
3. “Suspended EV” and “Idle” Statuses: How to Resolve to Resume Charging
Drivers may confront a “Suspended EV” status on the charger screen, or an “Idle” notification in the app, that prevents them from charging. The root cause of the issue, and its remedy, depends on when the status occurs during the session.
At the start of the charge:
This usually indicates an unstable connection between the vehicle and charger, causing the EV to stop pulling power. To fix this:
- Make sure your vehicle is firmly plugged in, sometimes this means giving the plug an extra little push until you hear a “click” confirming a solid connection.
During the session:
If this status appears later during a session, it often means your EV is fully charged. However, if your battery isn’t full, it often indicates there was a brief miscommunication between your vehicle and the charger. It can occur when the charger’s power flow momentarily drops, falsely signaling that the vehicle is fully charged. To resolve this:
- Check your EV’s charging settings to ensure the maximum charge level is set correctly.
Pro tip: Make sure you hear an audible “click” when plugging in your vehicle, that sound usually affirms a secure connection.
4. Limited Charging Space: Tips for When Stations Are Full
As EV adoption accelerates, charging station shortages are becoming more common, especially during peak hours or at properties with limited infrastructure. This is extremely frustrating for drivers who need to charge but are met with insufficient infrastructure.
Steps you can take when stations are full:
- Check the Chargie app or another reliable resource for nearby stations with charger availability.
- Try charging during non-peak hours when possible.
- Reach out to your property management to request for more stations to be installed.
How Chargie helps expand charging access:
- Our infrastructure is designed to be scalable, ensuring additional units can be added easily when needed.
- We monitor charger utilization in real time, proactively notifying property owners when their stations are consistently reaching maximum utilization so we can help with expansion.
Pro tip: With Chargie, you’re not just keeping up with demand, you’re staying ahead.
Chargie Has You Covered
Our advanced Network Operations Center provides 24/7 live monitoring, allowing us to quickly identify and resolve issues to ensure consistent and reliable charging for both drivers and property owners. With Chargie, most problems are resolved remotely, often before users are even aware there’s an issue. If you run into any issues, reach out to our customer support for help.
