If your car did not charge overnight as expected, work through these checks in order. One of them solves most cases.
1. Compare the battery level with your car's own app
Open the app and compare the battery level with what your car's own app shows, for example the Tesla app or My BMW.
- Same level, recently updated: the connection to your car works. Go to step 2.
- Different, or many hours old: the link to your car has dropped. Remove the car in the app and add it again with the same car account.
- Your car's own app is also out of date: the car itself is offline, for example in a garage without mobile signal. Smart charging resumes when the car is online again.
Cars only send data when they are awake, so data a few hours old is normal for a parked car. BMW, MINI and Volkswagen Group cars only send fresh data when they are at home.
2. Check your smart charging settings
- Maximum price: if you set a maximum price and prices stayed above it all night, the car was not charged on purpose. Raise or remove the limit.
- Smart charging off or paused: check that smart charging is switched on for this car, and that it was not paused. See Pause Smart Charging and Charge Now.
- Ready-by time: if you plugged in late and the ready-by time is early, there may not have been enough hours to finish charging.
- Inactive hours: the app does not control charging during inactive hours. Check that they do not cover the night.
3. Check that the car was at a smart charging location
Smart charging only runs at the locations you set, usually your home. If the app showed your car as away, see Smart Charging Location: Why and How.
4. Check the settings in your car
- The car's own charging schedule: turn off any charging schedule, departure timer or off-peak option in the car or in its app. They overrule smart charging.
- Charge limit: the car stops at the charge limit set in the car, for example 80%. Smart charging cannot charge beyond it.
5. Brand-specific checks
Tesla
Check that the virtual key is approved in the Tesla app and that Tesla's own Scheduled Charging and Off-Peak Charging are off. See Tesla Troubleshooting Guide.
BMW and MINI
- Starting or stopping charging in the My BMW or MINI app takes over that session. Smart charging resumes the next time you plug in.
- The car's own charging window can block smart charging. Set it to match your ready-by time, or switch it off.
- The connection expires after 90 days without use. Add the car again.
See BMW & MINI Smart Charging Setup.
Mercedes-Benz
- EQA, EQB, EQC and Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrids always charge to 50% before charging can be paused. On the electric GLC this level is 30%. This is a Mercedes-Benz rule.
- The charging program in the Mercedes app must be set to Home. Instant charging does not work with smart charging.
See Mercedes-Benz Smart Charging Setup.
Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Cupra and SEAT
- A charging location must be saved in the car for your home: Charging, then Charging Locations. Any name works.
- Data saving mode must be off in the car.
- You must be the primary user of the car, with its connected services active.
See Volkswagen Smart Charging Setup.
Still not working?
Contact the support team of your app. If your app comes from your energy supplier, that is your energy supplier's customer service. Tell them your car brand and model, the night it happened, and what the app showed the next morning. A screenshot of the app helps.