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EVnSteven FAQ

EVnSteven FAQ

We understand that navigating a new app can come with questions, so we’ve compiled a list of the most common inquiries to help you get the most out of EVnSteven. Whether you’re curious about setting up your charging station, managing your account, or understanding how pricing works, this FAQ is designed to provide clear and concise answers. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, feel free to reach out to our support team for further assistance. Let’s make charging easier and more efficient together!

An unmetered EV charging station is simply a charging point that doesn’t track how much electricity is being used by each vehicle. This lack of monitoring makes it hard to know how much energy is consumed by individual users, especially when multiple vehicles share the same station.

These stations are often referred to as “dumb chargers” because they are not connected to any network or system that can track or manage usage. Without this connection, there’s no easy way to measure or control energy consumption.

EVnSteven solves this issue by allowing you to track the time each vehicle spends charging, even at unmetered stations. This makes it possible to recover costs based on charging time, ensuring that station owners can still manage usage and expenses effectively, without needing to install costly hardware upgrades.

EVnSteven calculates costs on a per-minute basis, making it easy to charge users for the time they spend at the station. As the station owner, you have full control over the rates, allowing you to set different prices for peak and off-peak hours. You can even choose to offer free charging and simply track the usage.

While the cost calculation assumes that the station delivers constant power throughout the charging session, real-world factors like charging station efficiency can affect the actual energy delivered. To account for these inefficiencies, we recommend adding a surcharge, typically 25%, to ensure that all costs are covered and a small profit is made. You can adjust this surcharge as needed to maintain a fair and competitive pricing structure.

This way, even if the station is slightly less efficient, you won’t be at a loss, and your pricing remains fair, competitive, and predictable.

In some cases, Level 2 (L2) charging stations can deliver more power than an EV is capable of accepting. For example, if a station delivers 19kW of power but the connected EV can only handle 7.2kW, the EV will only draw the amount it can accept, which is less than the station’s capacity.

Currently, EVnSteven is optimized for typical charging scenarios and does not account for these higher power situations where the vehicle cannot fully utilize the station’s output. However, this is considered an edge case, and we are monitoring it closely. If this scenario becomes more common, we plan to add support for it in future updates.

For now, station owners should be aware of their station’s power output and the vehicles using them to ensure fair pricing and operation.

No, EVnSteven does not support the direct reselling of electricity. Instead, it allows you to offer an electrified parking spot where EV owners can charge their vehicles for a set period of time.

The legality of selling electricity varies by location and is often restricted to licensed utilities. In many regions, private entities are not allowed to sell electricity directly unless they meet specific regulatory requirements and obtain the necessary licenses.

To avoid these complexities, EVnSteven focuses on time-based billing, charging users for the time spent using the charging station. This method is legal in most places because it is treated as a fee for a service rather than the sale of electricity. By operating in this way, EVnSteven helps ensure compliance with local regulations while allowing you to cover your operational costs.

To determine your hourly rates, you’ll need to carefully calculate your operational costs. Start by reviewing your power utility bill to understand your electricity rates and use the rate calculator provided in the EVnSteven app to help you set an appropriate rate.

Consider all of your expenses, including the cost of electricity, maintenance, insurance, and any fees associated with operating your station. Don’t forget to factor in costs like parking space rental or other associated operational overhead. Once you have these figures, add a markup to cover these costs and ensure profitability.

It’s important to strike a balance between covering your expenses and staying competitive with other stations in your area. You might also want to plan for future upgrades to your station, such as upgrading to metered charging, and build in enough margin to set aside funds for these improvements.

Finally, keep in mind that electricity rates may vary during peak and off-peak hours, so you can adjust your pricing to reflect these fluctuations, maximizing your station’s efficiency and profitability.

Yes, EVnSteven is designed to help you manage stepped rates, which are commonly used by utilities to encourage energy conservation. Stepped rates work by charging different prices for electricity depending on the amount of energy used. Typically, the first block of energy usage is billed at a lower rate, while any usage beyond a certain threshold is charged at a higher rate.

If your electricity usage frequently exceeds the lower-rate threshold, you should consider setting your hourly rates based on the higher step to ensure you cover your costs. This way, you can avoid any unexpected expenses and maintain profitability, even if your energy consumption pushes you into the higher rate tier.

EVnSteven’s rate calculator can help you determine the appropriate hourly rates by taking into account the stepped pricing structure of your utility provider. This ensures that your pricing remains fair, transparent, and aligned with your actual costs.

Currently, EVnSteven does not yet support Rate DT, a dual energy rate structure used by utilities such as Hydro Québec. Rate DT charges different electricity rates based on the energy source used during specific weather conditions, particularly during cold snaps.

In homes with dual energy systems, the furnace automatically switches from electricity to gas (or oil) during cold weather to reduce strain on the electrical grid. Typically, electricity is used as the primary energy source, benefiting from lower rates. However, during very cold periods when demand for electricity spikes, the system switches to gas, and electricity prices increase significantly.

To implement support for Rate DT in EVnSteven, we would use a weather API to determine when cold snaps are occurring. By monitoring real-time weather data, the app would be able to automatically apply the correct rate multiplier for charging sessions during these peak periods. For instance, if a cold snap is detected in a specific area, the app would apply the higher Rate DT multiplier, ensuring that the correct pricing structure is used during these high-demand times. When the weather normalizes, the app would revert to the standard lower rates.

This dynamic approach ensures that Rate DT is accurately applied based on actual weather conditions, helping station owners manage their costs more effectively while adhering to utility pricing structures.

We are actively working on including support for Rate DT in a future version of EVnSteven. If this feature is critical for your operations, please contact us at rate-dt-dual-energy@evnsteven.app. Your feedback is valuable in helping us prioritize this development and ensure the feature meets your needs.

Taxes, such as Value-Added Tax (VAT) or Goods and Services Tax (GST), are typically added to the total cost of a charging session. EVnSteven allows you to easily manage these taxes by providing fields where you can set the tax name, percentage rate, and your tax ID (if required).

If you’re required to collect taxes based on your local regulations, you can configure the appropriate tax settings within the app. EVnSteven will then automatically apply the tax to each session, ensuring accurate billing. This could include VAT, GST, or other local taxes relevant to your jurisdiction.

For those not required to collect taxes, the tax fields are optional, and you can leave them blank. However, it’s important to consult your local tax authority to ensure compliance with all applicable tax laws. By using these settings, EVnSteven helps you stay compliant and transparent in your pricing and tax reporting.

If you have any specific tax requirements that aren’t covered by the current configuration options, feel free to contact us for assistance or suggestions.

Yes, creating an account is required to access all the features of EVnSteven. Registration is simple—just use your Google or Apple account to sign up. This process securely provides your name and email address for quick access to the app’s functionality.

EVnSteven eliminates the need for traditional passwords. Instead, you log in using your Google or Apple credentials, making the login process both secure and convenient. No password resets are needed—just use your existing Google or Apple account.

EVnSteven is not designed to help you find public charging stations. Instead, it focuses on managing charging sessions at specific locations registered within the app. To locate EVnSteven registered stations, navigate to the “Charging Stations” tab in the app. You can search for a station by its unique ID, which is always printed on the station signage generated from the app.

The signage also includes a QR code that contains both the EVnSteven web address and the station ID. If a user scans the QR code but doesn’t have the app installed yet, they’ll be directed to the app download page. Once the app is installed, scanning the QR code will launch the app, allowing the user to quickly add the station to their favorites and start a charging session.

Station owners can further enhance this experience by adding an inexpensive NFC tag to the signage. When tapped, the NFC tag performs the same function as the QR code but also confirms the user’s presence when starting and stopping a session. This helps ensure vehicles are moved immediately after charging, maximizing usage and income for the station owner.

For finding public charging stations, we recommend using apps like PlugShare, which are better suited for that purpose of finding public charging stations. Station owners can also register their stations on PlugShare to attract more users and increase visibility.

If you experience any technical difficulties while using EVnSteven, please reach out to our support team at support@evnsteven.app. We are here to assist you with any issues or questions you may have.

We highly value user feedback and suggestions for improving EVnSteven. You can share your thoughts through the “Feedback” button within the app or by emailing us directly at feedback@evnsteven.app. Your input is always appreciated!

If your strata or building is facing load balancing issues, DCC Electric might be able to offer a solution. Visit their website at DCCElectric.com for more information and potential assistance with your energy management needs.

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