I’ve been charging my Kia EV6 at home using a JuiceBox charger through the Enel X app. But now Enel X announced that on October 11, they’re discontinuing the app and pulling it from the App Store. So my question is, how will I be able to charge my Kia after that? Can I use only the Kia Access app to manage charging?
From what I’ve heard, once the app is gone, you won’t have any of the smart features anymore. Basically, you’ll only be able to plug and unplug your charger after October 11. You can still set charging schedules from the car, though, like you can with a regular dumb charger.
@Randy
Could you explain how to set charging schedules from the car?
Howard said:
@Randy
Could you explain how to set charging schedules from the car?
Sure! On the app’s main screen, tap SCHEDULES. Then tap ‘Off-peak charging time’ and choose the hours you want the car to charge.
Howard said:
@Randy
Could you explain how to set charging schedules from the car?
You can also do it directly in the Kia Connect app.
Howard said:
@Randy
Could you explain how to set charging schedules from the car?
You can also do it directly in the Kia Connect app.
I haven’t seen a ‘Kia Connect’ app. Are you talking about the ‘Kia Access’ app?
@Howard
Yeah, they probably meant the Kia Access app.
olivia said:
@Howard
Yeah, they probably meant the Kia Access app.
Yes, my bad!
@Howard
Just so you know, it’s called Kia Connect in Canada.
I was reading about this online—don’t own a JuiceBox myself, but I saw that the app lets you lock the charger to your car. I’d suggest turning that off now while you still can. Once the app shuts down on October 11, you might not be able to change any settings.
@Michael
I’ve been through the app and can’t find anything about locking the charger to the car. Do you have a source for that info?
Howard said:
@Michael
I’ve been through the app and can’t find anything about locking the charger to the car. Do you have a source for that info?
I’ve always wondered why smart chargers need to connect to a server to do their job. It seems like it just adds complications and long-term costs, which leads to situations like this. From what I’ve read, your charger will still work, but you won’t be able to use any smart features. If you want a smart charger that’s self-contained, look into Wallbox. It has WiFi but does most of its smart features on the device itself.
@izael
That actually makes a lot of sense, thanks for the suggestion!
It should still function as a regular ‘dumb’ EV charger, so you won’t have any issues charging your car.
I’ve been using my JuiceBox in dumb mode for a year and a half now. My WiFi doesn’t reach my garage, so I just set a charging schedule in the EV settings menu in the car. It’s worked perfectly every time. You can also start or stop charging through the Kia Access app, but my garage doesn’t always get a signal for that.
@Connie
I guess next time I need to charge, I’ll try plugging it in and see what the Kia Access app offers in the charging settings. Maybe I should uninstall the Enel X app first? Does that sound like the right move?
I’ve only used mine in dumb mode too. We don’t have off-peak pricing in VA, so I’ve been using it without any smart features for two years. I’m hoping that doesn’t change!
There might be a solution here: ChargeLab offers software support for orphaned Enel X Way EV chargers
abidemi said:
There might be a solution here: ChargeLab offers software support for orphaned Enel X Way EV chargers
I thought this might be good news at first, but then I read the second-to-last paragraph: ‘After technical evaluation, ChargeLab found that migrating residential JuiceBox chargers is not worthwhile… We recommend utilities immediately remove JuiceBox chargers from their approved list for residential programs.’