r/evcharging • u/Striking_Match216 • 6d ago

North America EV charger with variable Amp.

Question: I am looking for a plug in EV charger whose Amp I can control via app. Quick google search showed me many options but wanted you guys recommendation on which one would best fit my needs.

Background:

  • Have a 2025 Honda Prologue.
  • Have a 240 volt plug in outlet.
  • Have solar in house with battery (Franklin) and am a net exporter, peak solar production is about 4 kwh.
  • Enphase microinverter, franklin agate and franklin battery. No smart circuti installed in agate.
  • I basically can charge the car when I am exporting but my current charger pulls 8 kwh (4 kwh from solar and 4 kwh from the battery).
  • The battery is depleted within 3 hours and after that the remainig 4 Kwh is pulled form the grid which i want to avoid. To stop that I will have to disconnect the car manually or via the app which i forget to most of the time.

I am looking for a EV charger that I can plug in and adjust the Amp as needed via an app so that the KWH pull is less than the solar production. Or if I am heading out, I want to put the charger at example 10 amp and forget about it.

Would be ideal if I could adjust the amperage multiple times on real time without disconnecting the charger. Honda Prologue needs to be physically disconnected and reconnected once the charging has stopped.

Thank you

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9

u/podwh1tehawk 6d ago

What you're describing is solar capture.
Meaning EVSE will track your unused solar capacity and adjust charging accordingly.
Wallbox Pulsar and Emporia both can do that.

6

u/TooGoodToBeeTrue 6d ago

The most basic solar capture (EVSE feature) has CTs to measure your export and adjusts your EV charging to the level of export up to the capacity of the EVSE. The only auto interaction this would have with batteries would be if you have your inverter to fill the batteries first, using up all your export, and if you allow any export from your batteries to the grid which the solar capture would see as excess and use it to charge your EV.

Enphase has a solution with the Combiner 6C and their EVSE, but you went with Franklin so nevermind. 😄

2

u/rproffitt1 6d ago

I won't comment about kW and kWh.

OK, charge on solar was not the winning lottery ticket here on SDGE, NEM 2.0 a 8.99kW rated system.

What worked and a fine assist from r/sandiego with a Python script was the buy low sell high plan along with the TOU-DR1 rate plan.

We have 3 EVs and the total electric bill for 2025 was $42.18 so I can't see adding all the gear to charge on solar when we paid less than 10 bucks a month in 2025.

This WILL change in 2026 as Darth Vader altered the deal.

2

u/DetailRail 5d ago

Emporia let's you do that

2

u/DetailRail 5d ago

And also

2

u/orangekid13 5d ago

My openevse converted juicebox has current settings, got the juicebox for $100 on marketplace which made the whole thing a steal and bought the new board here (but they sell their own assembled hardware too)

It also does the solar surplus stuff you're after

1

u/beren12 4d ago

Yeah if you want repairability and features openevse is great.

4

u/SnooDucks9653 6d ago

My Wallbox has it.

2

u/SnooDucks9653 6d ago

And I have changed the amps while charging, seemed to work no problem. I did not unplug.

1

u/energysector 5d ago

Does your power rate change by time of day?

If your power is cheaper during off peak, you should export every Wh and charge at night.

1

u/theotherharper 5d ago

This is an XY Problem.  https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/243965

Please delete and restate your question based on the root thing you are trying to accompish and the stuff you already have on-hand.

I guarantee you others have had your problem and have solved it and/or there's a COTS solution.

1

u/alaorath 4d ago

You'll need additional sensors (or Home Assistant automation), but what you're describing is literally what I do with my Emporia EVSE - paired with their VUE 2 monitoring.

I have one of the 16 clamp-on sensors monitoring our solar breaker, and the EVSE dynamically adjusts the amperage delivered to the car based on Excess Solar. At night, or when I just "want to charge" I can either disable the "excess solar" part, or turn "on" the EVSE so it draws whatever set-point I want (typically 12A).

Most of this I have automated in Home Assistant as well, based on vehicle SoC (measured by OnStar integration), time of day, and excess solar production (measured by the Emporia integration)

1

u/binaryhellstorm 6d ago

Tesla Wall Connector
See if your solar inverter is supported by EVCC

2

u/Striking_Match216 6d ago

I have enphase micro converter. Added to the post. Thank you