Gridio
Frequently Asked Questions
Gridio app
The Gridio app allows you to automatically charge your electric vehicle when it makes most sense. Gridio shifts your charging to the hours with the cheapest electricity which are usually also the cleanest - all without any extra hardware.
All you need to do is connect your vehicle to your Gridio account, set when you want Gridio to be active and we will work our magic from there. By your desired time, your vehicle will be charged up to your required level with the most affordable electricity.
The Gridio app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Gridio is welcoming users to try out the app free of charge, so that as many users can get access to the service easily as possible. In return, we may bug with occasional requests for feedback to improve the service.
We believe that there will be plenty of opportunities for electric vehicle owners to not just save money on electricity tariffs, but to also to earn money from being flexible with their energy use - either by helping to help balance the grid , or through the use of V2G down the line. We will do our best to keep the app for free until we can prove and bring those sources of value to our users. Nevertheless, we might add premium features, which could come at a cost.
Gridio Smart Charge is currently only available for Tesla, Volkswagen ID., Škoda Enyaq, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Cupra, SEAT and Ford Mach-E. electric vehicle owners. But do not worry - we will soon add new brands to our app in order to bring Smart Charging to as many electric vehicle owners as possible.
Smart Charging is available in all EU countries, Norway and Switzerland.
No. Gridio Smart Charge sets charging schedules in a similar way as the car's own app would, except in real-time and dynamically, and therefore we do not do anything that would damage your vehicle battery.
At Gridio we take security very seriously and continue to look for opportunities to make improvements.
Below we share how we obtain, store and utilise the data for Smart Charge.
Hosting:
- Gridio uses Amazon’s AWS platform and infrastructure with two factor authentication for access. https://aws.amazon.com/security/
- All consumption data is stored in an encrypted RDS database that is not publicly accessible. https://aws.amazon.com/rds/.
- All non-time series metadata such as vehicle name, color are stored in encrypted Dynamo database, that is not publicly accessible.
Application Security:
- Application servers can be accessed only via HTTPS. We use industry standard encryption for data traversing to and from the application servers.
- Gridio app and web services use industry standard Oauth2 for user authentication and access control.
- XSS – All user inputs are properly encoded when displayed to ensure XSS vulnerabilities are avoided.
- CSRF – All POST requests are checked for CSRF token before processing the request.
- SQL Injection – Prepared statements are used for database access to avoid SQL Injection.
Vehicle API Token:
- Your vehicle login username and passwords used to create a token are never saved or stored on Gridio.
- Full support for Tesla.com accounts with two factor authentication is enabled.
- Tesla, Volkswagen, Škoda, Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Audi, Cupra and SEAT API tokens are not displayed on Gridio anywhere by default and are stored in encrypted format.
- At expiry the API tokens are updated by Gridio in order to retain access. This update cycle can be broken by simply changing your Tesla.com, WeConnect or Škoda Connect password.
- Gridio controls and scheduling are not enabled by default and cannot be enabled without generating or providing a new Tesla.com, WeConnect, Škoda Connect, Kia Connect, Hyundai Bluelink, FordPass Connect , MyAudi and My CUPRA/SEAT API token.
- Remote start of Tesla vehicles require both the Tesla API token and the Tesla.com credentials. Gridio is unable to remotely start a vehicle as Tesla.com credentials are not stored.
- The API Tokens can be revoked at any time by changing your vehicle account password.
Disconnecting your car is easy - just navigate to the Connections page on the app, where you have two options. If you want to temporarily remove your car from Gridio, just click on your brand and "Unpair" your vehicle. If you want to completely disconnect your vehicle account, then click on the "X" next to your brand.
NB! Please ensure that you remove your vehicle account before deleting the app, as otherwise it remains connected to Gridio.
In order to delete your Gridio account, please email us at support@gridio.io and we will delete your account and associated data at the earliest convenience.
Smart Charging
Setting up Smart Charging is very easy. After you have downloaded our app and set up your account, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Add your vehicle Connection, using your Tesla, WeConnect, Škoda, CUPRA/SEAT, Kia Connect, MyAudi, FordPass Connect, Hyundai Bluelink credentials.
Step 2: Select which vehicle in your account you want to Smart Charge (we currently only enable one vehicle per account).
Step 3: Set up your Smart Charging settings (see below)
Gridio uses a few simple settings to set up your smart charging configuration. You can change these from the vehicle screen in the app at any time.
Car Charged by time - this indicates the time every day, by which we will Smart Charge your vehicle up to the maximum limit set in your vehicle app. We recommend setting it to before you normally leave home (e.g. 7:00)
Gridio 'Active' time - when Gridio is 'active', our app delays charging to the cheapest hours possible to reach your battery charge limit on time. Here there are two options:
1. Active All Day: Gridio always postpones charging to the cheapest electricity to meet your battery charge limit on time every time you plug in.
There are key exceptions - Volkswagen, Cupra, SEAT & Škoda users: we disable Gridio at fast chargers >11kW; Tesla, Ford, Hyundai and Kia users - Gridio is disabled outside your smart charging location.
2. Active after certain hour: you should use this if you regularly slow-charge somewhere else (e.g. office) and do not want to optimise for electricity prices. Before this hour Gridio is inactive. For example: if your Car Charged by time is set to 07:00 and Gridio Active time is set to 16:00, then every time you plug in between 7:00-16:00, your vehicle immediately starts charging and we do not wait for cheap prices to arrive.
Set Smart Charge location (not available for Volkswagen, Cupra, SEAT, Škoda and some Audi models). Gridio Smart Charges only in one location, usually your home. When your vehicle is parked at home, even if unplugged, click on the location icon and we will automatically only apply Smart Charging when your lovely car is plugged in at the same spot.
Activate Smart Charge. After sliding this function, your electric vehicle is ready for smart charging - giving you a charged up battery by your Car Charged By time. You can always pause the smart charge in case you need immediate charging, by using the slider at the bottom of the app. This will temporarily turn off smart charging for 24h and allow your vehicle to charge without Gridio making any adjustments.
Our smart algorithms will always ensure that your vehicle is charged up by the Smart Charge Complete time - to your set maximum charge limit in your vehicle app. This assumes that there are enough hours between when you plug in and your Smart Charge Start time for your car to charge the amount required.
Yes, while you can still Smart Charge with a fixed price contract, in order to get real-life savings, you should switch over to a variable (wholesale) price contract based on Nord Pool or other exchangeprices. So when electricity is cheap (and usually clean) we will maximise your charging and when prices rise, we will avoid charging - unless you really need to.
In case you need immediate charging, you can use the Pause functionality by using the slider at the bottom of the app. This will temporarily turn off smart charging for 24 hours and allow your vehicle to charge without Gridio making any adjustments.
We recommend keeping Smart Charge enabled all the time to enable savings for your wallet and the environment. However, in case you need immediate charging, you can pause Smart Charging using the slider at the bottom of the app. This will temporarily turn off smart charging for 24 hours and allow your vehicle to charge without Gridio making any adjustments.
On the front page of the app you can see your daily savings. In order to see more detailed data you can click on the chart. We calculate the savings by comparing how your car would have charged, immediately after plugging in, versus the cost of electricity we achieved using Smart Charging.
Please note that the costs of charging only include the electricity component of your bill, which represents the electricity price of Nord Pool in your region. We exclude any electricity taxes and network fees from our savings calculation.
Gridio Smart Charge automatically and seamlessly charges your electric car at the cheapest hours of electricity to give you a full charge by your desired time. By automatically postponing charging if prices are high, and automatically starting charging when prices fall, you can instantly lower your energy bill by charging when it makes most sense.
By using Gridio Smart Charge, you contribute to a greener and cleaner electricity sector in two main ways:
Firstly, usually when people return home and plug in their vehicle for charging during peak hours is when everybody else is also using more electricity. By avoiding charging during these hours, you alleviate the strain on the grid, reduce the need for fossil fuel power plants and help bring down the electricity price not just for yourself but for everyone in our community.
Secondly, by enabling Gridio to shift your charging to cheaper hours, which are usually at night or other off-peak hours, you're also able to use up more low-carbon energy. This means that it is less likely that wind and solar power go underutilised and you also benefit from lower prices. Gridio has done deep analysis on this and we have confirmed that low prices are positively correlated with a lower carbon intensity of electricity - meaning that it benefits both your wallet and the environment to charge at the right time.
For the first two to three minutes after plugging in, Gridio creates your upcoming smart charging schedule and fetches your battery information. After we have a reliable reading of your upcoming charging needs, we then stop the charging if prices are high, or allow it to continue to charge when it is the best time to do so. This way we can ensure the most optimal charging in the upcoming hours.
Gridio Smart Charge currently allows only a single vehicle to be connected per account. We are working on also enabling more than one vehicle to be added.
Gridio Smart Charge currently enables only one Smart Charge Location. You can update the location if you go to your summer house or other location where you want Smart Charging to occur by updating the location on your vehicle page in the app. We are working on adding more locations in the future.
In order to manage your connections and pairings, you can click on the Connections menu in your Account settings. From there you can either unpair your vehicle (in case you for example change vehicles) or disconnect your vehicle account. If you for any reason do not have access to Gridio, you can also simply change the password of your electric vehicle app account and that will disconnect your car automatically from Gridio.
Solar Charging
Setting up solar charging is very easy. After you have connected your EV to Gridios smart charging you can also add your solar inverter and set it up in three easy steps.
Step 1: Add your Inverter under Connections, using your Fronius, Huawei (FusionSolar), Solar Edge or Ferroamp credentials.
Huawei currently only supports one app connection per user. If you want both Gridio and your solar app to have access to your inverter, you can create an extra guest user in FusionSolar designated for Gridio. (YouTube instructions.)
In order to connect a Solare Edge inverter, we recommend that you have admin rights that permits API key generation.
Step 2: Select which inverter in your account you want to use for smart solar charge (we currently only enable one per account).
Step 3: Select a solar charging level so Gridio knows when the smart solar charging should start and stop.
When the production of solar electricity reaches above the limit set in Gridio the charging will start. If you have a smart meter it will start when the export reaches the set value and stop if the export goes below.
Yes, the solar charging will stop if the sun is clouded and continues when the solar production is back at the preset limit.
Yes, If you have a smart meter connected to your inverter.
At the moment Gridio does not change the charge power at all. You must set the charge power in your car or EV-app to match the production. We plan to add this feature to cars that support it in future.
At the moment Gridio does not handle solar batteries, but they will continue to work according to the setup you have made for them.
This feature will be added soon.
Volkswagen
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on Volkswagen - this leads to Volkswagen's official Connect authentication page.
3. Log in with your Volkswagen Connect credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Pick your vehicle model and Pair it (make sure your vehicle is not sleeping).
5. Set the Smart Charging configuration (see more in Smart Charging section of FAQ).
And now you are all set! We will charge your Volksagen using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen configruation. When you go to a fast-charger, smart-charging will automatically be disabled so you get immediate charging.
If you need immediate charging when Gridio is active at <11kW slow chargers, just use the Pause button at the bottom of the app.
We support Volkswagen ID.3/4/5/6 models at the moment. Other models such as Volksagen e-Golf and e-UP! are under development, and will be available soon. Unfortunately Gridio does not support plug-in hybrids such as Passat and Touraeg GTE, due to these cars not providing the necessary data for smart charging.
As of ID. software 3.0 there is a setting for optimized battery use. In order for the 12V battery to stay charged when the car is not actively used and allow the cars mobile online services, please activate this setting. This way your car will stay online and be able to accept Gridios charging commands.
Tesla
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on Tesla - this leads to Tesla's official authentication page.
3. Log in with your Tesla credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Pick your Tesla model and Pair it (make sure your vehicle is not sleeping).
5. Set the Smart Charging time configuration (see more above in the FAQ)
6. Set the location where we do smart charging for you.
And now you are all set! We will charge your Tesla using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen settings.
We support all Tesla models, though we have yet to test with the Cybertruck ;).
Gridio’s Smart Charging creates real-time charging schedules for your car, based on electricity prices as well as your battery charge level. Therefore, we recommend disabling both the Scheduled Charging and Off-Peak Charging feature (available through Scheduled Departure). As an example:
Tesla’s in-car Scheduled Charging determines what time the car should start charging (not accounting for electricity prices). Gridio has this feature already built-in automatically by first receiving on how many hours of charging is required from the Tesla, and then creating a charging schedule based on the lowest prices available before your Smart Charge Complete Time. So even if the lowest cost-electricity is at a different time every night, we ensure your car benefits from it and therefore we recommend disabling this feature.
Tesla’s in-car Off-Peak Charging works the other way - it tells your Tesla the time at which it should stop charging, based on when off-peak prices usually end. Again, Gridio’s real-time Smart Charging schedule does this automatically, by ensuring your car hits its desired charge level, based on hourly Nordpool electricity prices (and not by a fixed certain time of night). And again, we recommend disabling this feature as a result.
Gridio Smart Charges only in the location you set in the app, usually your home. When your vehicle is parked at home, even if unplugged, click the location icon and we will automatically only apply Smart Charging when your lovely Tesla is plugged in at the same spot.
Škoda
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on Škoda - this leads to Škoda official Connect authentication page.
3. Log in with your Škoda Connect credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Pick your vehicle model and Pair it (make sure your vehicle is not sleeping).
5. Set the Smart Charging configuration (see more above in the Smart Charging section of the FAQ)
And now you are all set! We will charge your Škoda Enyaq using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen settings. When you go to a fast-charger, smart-charging will automatically be disabled so you get immediate charging.
If you need immediate charging when Gridio is active at <11kW slow chargers, just use the Pause button at the bottom of the app.
We currently only support smart charging for Škoda Enyaq. Unfortunately Škoda's other EV and PHEV models do not (yet) provide necessary data for smart charging.
Please ensure you have a Service Partner enabled and selected on the Škoda Connect website. You can check this by logging into www.skoda-connect.com from a computer and validating that a service provider is visible on your vehicle section (it can be your Škoda retailer for example).
Hyundai
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on Hyundai - this leads to Hyundai's official authentication page.
3. Log in with your Hyundai Bluelink credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Pick your Hyundai model and Pair it (make sure your vehicle is not sleeping).
5. Set the Smart Charging time configuration (see more above in the FAQ)
6. Set the location where we do smart charging for you.
And now you are all set! We will charge your Hyundai using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen settings.
We support all models with Hyundai Bluelink app-compatibility.
Gridio’s Smart Charging creates real-time charging schedules for your car, based on electricity prices as well as your battery charge level. Therefore, we recommend disabling Hyundai's off-peak settings, such as 'prioritise off-peak' and 'off-peak only' in the Bluelink app.
You can still set your departure time setting to a bit after the Gridio 'charge by' time, to allow for pre-conditioning of your Hyundai.
Please ensure that you have the latest firmware installed on your Hyundai from the in-car entertainment system. If the problem persists after the update, please contact support@gridio.io
Hyundai does not report precise charging power in kilowatts. As a result we make an estimate based on the charging time to full estimate provide by Hyundai. While this leads to some imprecisions, it does not however hinder smart charging with Gridio.
Gridio Smart Charges only in the location you set in the app, usually your home. When your vehicle is parked at home, even if unplugged, click the location icon and we will automatically only apply Smart Charging when your lovely Hyundai is plugged in at the same spot.
Hyundais' 12-volt batteries can drain if anything in the car remains "on" for an extended period of time. For smart charging, and in particular for your Hyundai to tell us that it has started charging, Gridio does regular status checks with the car - which, if done too often, can drain the 12-volt battery.
Important: please ensure you have the latest Battery Management System (BMS) software installed by your Hyundai provider. A lovely chap in the UK has explained it well here.
Therefore Gridio has two status-check modes.
Peak mode: when we check the status every minute. This is engaged during weekday evening peak price periods (to avoid any expensive charging), and during charging itself - when the 12-volt battery is charged up by the high-voltage battery.
Off-peak mode: when we check the status three times per hour. This enables your Hyundai to fall asleep frequently. However if you plug in during these times, it may take on average 10 minutes for charging to get scheduled and stopped.
NB! During off-peak times, you can hit "refresh" in the Blue Link app and that automatically updates the vehicle data and enables us to stop charging earlier within a minute or two.
Kia
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on Kia - this leads to Kia's official authentication page.
3. Log in with your Kia Connect credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Pick your Kia model and Pair it (make sure your vehicle is not sleeping).
5. Set the Smart Charging time configuration (see more above in the FAQ)
6. Set the location where we do smart charging for you.
And now you are all set! We will charge your Kia using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen settings.
We support all models with Kia Connect app-compatibility.
Gridio’s Smart Charging creates real-time charging schedules for your car, based on electricity prices as well as your battery charge level. Therefore, we recommend disabling Kia's off-peak settings, such as 'prioritise off-peak' and 'off-peak only' in the Bluelink app.
You can still set your departure time setting to a bit after the Gridio 'charge by' time, to allow for pre-conditioning of your Kia.
Please ensure that you have the latest firmware installed on your Kia from the in-car entertainment system. If the problem persists after the update, please contact support@gridio.io
Hyundai does not report precise charging power in kilowatts. As a result we make an estimate based on the charging time to full estimate provide by Kia. While this leads to some imprecisions, it does not however hinder smart charging with Gridio.
Gridio Smart Charges only in the location you set in the app, usually your home. When your vehicle is parked at home, even if unplugged, click the location icon and we will automatically only apply Smart Charging when your lovely Kia is plugged in at the same spot.
Kias' 12-volt batteries can drain if anything in the car remains "on" for an extended period of time. For smart charging, and in particular for your Kia to tell us that it has started charging, Gridio does regular status checks with the car - which, if done too often, can drain the 12-volt battery.
Therefore Gridio has two status-check modes.
Peak mode: when we check the status every minute. This is engaged during weekday evening peak price periods (to avoid any expensive charging), and during charging itself - when the 12-volt battery is charged up by the high-voltage battery.
Off-peak mode: when we check the status three times per hour. This enables your Kia to fall asleep frequently. However if you plug in during these times, it may take on average 10 minutes for charging to get scheduled and stopped.
NB! During off-peak times, you can hit "refresh" in the Kia Connect app and that automatically updates the vehicle data and enables us to stop charging earlier within a minute or two.
Audi
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on your car brand- this leads to the manufacturers official authentication page.
3. Log in with your credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Pick your car model and pair it (make sure your vehicle is not sleeping).
5. Set the Smart Charging time configuration (see more above in the FAQ)
6. Set the location where we do smart charging for you. (Some Audi models do not yet support location awareness.)
And now you are all set! We will charge your car using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen settings.
Currently we support Audi Q4 and Q5 e-trons, which are working on Audi’s new electric vehicle platform. Other Audi models such as the e-trons (Q8 e-tron) and plug-in hybrids may not operate as well. This is really dependent on how good the connection between your MyAudi app and the car is. Many users report that the connection is often interrupted, in which case smart charging may also not work. If your MyAudi app works flawlessly, then smart charging should as well.
Gridio’s Smart Charging creates real-time charging schedules for your car, based on electricity prices as well as your battery charge level. Therefore, we recommend disabling the cars off-peak settings, such as 'prioritise off-peak' and 'off-peak only' in the MyAudi app.
You can still set your departure time setting to a bit after the Gridio 'charge by' time, to allow for pre-conditioning of your Cupra/SEAT.
Audis app sometimes does not update frequently. Gridio often has more up-to-date information about your cars state of charge and status.
Gridio Smart Charges only in the location you set in the app, usually your home. When your vehicle is parked at home, even if unplugged, click the location icon and we will automatically only apply Smart Charging when your lovely Kia is plugged in at the same spot.
Cupra and SEAT
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on your car brand- this leads to the manufacturers official authentication page.
3. Log in with your credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Pick your car model and Pair it (make sure your vehicle is not sleeping).
5. Set the Smart Charging time configuration (see more above in the FAQ)
6. Set the location where we do smart charging for you.
And now you are all set! We will charge your car using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen settings.
We support all that are electric and with My CUPRA/SEAT app compatibility.
Gridio’s Smart Charging creates real-time charging schedules for your car, based on electricity prices as well as your battery charge level. Therefore, we recommend disabling the cars off-peak settings, such as 'prioritise off-peak' and 'off-peak only' in the My CUPRA/SEAT app.
You can still set your departure time setting to a bit after the Gridio 'charge by' time, to allow for pre-conditioning of your Cupra/SEAT.
Gridio Smart Charges only in the location you set in the app, usually your home. When your vehicle is parked at home, even if unplugged, click the location icon and we will automatically only apply Smart Charging when your lovely Kia is plugged in at the same spot.
Ford
To get started, just follow these steps:
1. Download our app and create an account.
2. Go to "Connections" and click on Mustang - this leads to Ford's official authentication page.
3. Log in with your FordPass Connect credentials (this is secure, and Gridio will not see your user info).
4. Set the Smart Charging time configuration (see more above in the FAQ)
5. Set the location where we do smart charging for you.
And now you are all set! We will charge your Ford using the cheapest (and on average cleanest) electricity based on your chosen settings.
Currently we support the Mustang mach-E. We are working to integrate also other Ford EVs such as the Kuga.
Gridio’s Smart Charging creates real-time charging schedules for your car, based on electricity prices as well as your battery charge level. Therefore, we recommend disabling the Scheduled Charging feature.
Gridio Smart Charges only in the location you set in the app, usually your home. When your vehicle is parked at home, even if unplugged, click the location icon and we will automatically only apply Smart Charging when your lovely Tesla is plugged in at the same spot.
