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FAQs
On October 2, 2024, Enel X Way USA -- the manufacturer of JuiceBox EVSEs (EVSEs are more commonly known as electric car chargers) announced their decision to stop operations in North America on October 11, 2024. This will leave many people -- we suspect hundreds of thousands -- without any means to control their EVSE. We believe that this also means that JuiceBox EVSEs in most commercial environments will stop working altogether. This group is attempting to find alternatives to this worst-case scenario. You can read more about us here.
That depends. If your JuiceBox depends on Enel X software to work -- such as if it requires payment or authentication (as is common in commercial environments), then we believe that it will stop working. If you have a residential unit (no payment, no authentication, etc), then we believe that it will continue operating with the settings it has at the time of shutdown.
We are hesitant to give advice, because there is risk involved no matter what action you take (including no action). Some people feel that it is the best idea that they don't change anything, and just leave everything alone. Others feel it is best to verify or set ideal settings before the shutdown occurs – particularly if you use scheduled charging. With that in mind, here are some things to consider:
- In Home > Settings > Configuration, check that Maximum Capacity is set to no more than 80% of the electrical circuit’s circuit breaker size (amps). You will not be able to adjust the maximum current after October 11. You should ensure that the maximum capacity setting of your JuiceBox(es) does not exceed the circuit capacity. For example, if you have three JuiceBoxes sharing a 50A circuit, each unit may draw up to 13.3 Amps simultaneously, or one could draw 20A, and two could draw 10A each. It doesn’t matter what the maximum capacity is set to for each JuiceBox, so long as they are equal to or less than 80% of your circuit capacity.
- In Home > Settings > Smart Charging, consider turning off Scheduled Charging. We don’t know what will happen to existing charging schedules when the Enel X servers shut down. We’re afraid that JuiceBoxes may be forever unable to charge, if they were scheduled not to charge at the moment the Enel X servers shut down.
- Delete all the vehicles in My Garage to disable the charging energy limit. We do not know what will happen to energy limits when the servers go down, and you will lose the ability to make changes afterward.
- Numerous parties are working on solutions to regain access and control of JuiceBox features that are going away. These will need your JuiceBox ID. In the mobile app, go to Home > Settings (near the top of the page) > JuiceBox Info, then save the JuiceBox ID and model in case you need them in the future. (These should also be available on a sticker on the side of your JuiceBox, but may be faded and unreadable.)
We recommend that you disable scheduled charging by using the app, at Home -> Settings -> Smart Charging. We don't know what will happen when the Enel X servers shut down, but we are afraid that if your JuiceBox was not scheduled to charge at the time they shut down, it may never be able to charge again.
"Maximum Capacity" is a setting in JuiceBox that tells the equipment that it is not allowed to draw more power than some given value (equal to or less than the capacity of that JuiceBox). For example, If you have a JuiceBox that supports 40A charging, the "maximum capacity" could be set to some value less than 40A. This is commonly done when the electrical circuit that your JuiceBox is connected to is not rated for the amount of power your JuiceBox is physically capable of providing to the car. If your JuiceBox is only connected to a 20A circuit, then the maximum capacity setting needs to be set to no greater than 16A (80% of 20A). Exceeding the current rating of the circuit can cause tripped circuit breakers, and could even cause a fire. Do not set the current rating higher than what the circuit is rated for, but keep in mind that the current rating will likely be unchangeable after October 11, 2024.
Load sharing is when there are multiple JuiceBox EVSEs present on a single circuit, and the software manages how much current is allowed to be consumed by each EVSE at any given time. For example, you could have 2 JuiceBox EVSEs that can pull 40A each on a 50A circuit, so long as they combined pulled no more than 40A. This was a supported feature in JuiceBox for years.
However, we believe that as of sometime earlier in 2024, Enel X removed this functionality from all JuiceBoxes in North America, during a server and app migration. As a result, automated load sharing is no longer available for anyone, and this will not change as of October 11, 2024.
It is still possible to have multiple JuiceBoxes on a single circuit, so long as they are manually configured with maximum current such that their combined use is within the capacity of the circuit. For example, on a 50A circuit (80% = 40A available), you could have two JuiceBoxes: they could each be configured for 20A (2*20=40), or one could be configured for 10A and the other for 30A (10+30=40) or any other permutation that adds up to 40A or less. Do note that you must know the capacity of the circuit to determine what the correct value is, and then subtract 20%. If you have a dedicated 50A circuit, then you can use 40A; if it's 40A then you can use 32A, etc.
Enel X Way North America has stated that customer service is no longer available. Unfortunately, we aren't able to help you get logged into the app either.
Is anyone working on any technical projects, to try to overcome the unexpected shutdown over Enel X servers?
Yes:
- JuicePassProxy (JPP) is an open-source project that is attempting to provide a way for particularly technically-inclined users to maintain control of their JuiceBox after the Enel X shutdown. At present, it seems that this would require that you run a server (which could potentially be a very small and inexpensive computer) on the same wifi (or ethernet) network as the JuiceBox, and may also require DNS interception or specific firewall configuration. More details will eventually be made available at the earlier link.
- Some individuals are working on trying to find a way to get OCPP firmware loaded onto JuiceNet generation 2 hardware. OCPP is an open standard that allows third-parties to control the JuiceBox EVSE without requiring any server or software on the same local wifi/ethernet network. We know that this firmware exists, as some commercial units are known to run it; however, it seems that Enel X has the sole ability to control which JuiceBoxes are allowed to run the firmware (because the firmware is deployed over the internet, by serial number). We hope that there will be a workaround to this (either technical or political) in the future.
- Some companies are advertising that they are able to convert JuiceBox EVSEs to OCPP, if you sign a contract with that company to use their software for some period of time. Some companies seem to know how to accomplish this -- including having Enel X distribute firmware to the JuiceBox EVSEs -- while others may not. We cannot recommend any specific company.
- OpenEVSE is working on a new control board design, with the goal of being able to swap the controller in existing JuiceBox devices with a new OpenEVSE controller. This would effectively mean that the EVSE is no longer a JuiceBox, and that it would thereafter be an OpenEVSE. This would require opening up the JuiceBox and replacing parts, so it will require some level of comfort regarding electronics and electrical wiring. We don't currently know what the cost would be for the replacement controller.
- If you would like to replace your JuiceBox with an OpenEVSE before they've released the new controller, it's possible to buy a new OpenEVSE in kit form, without cables. You could then unwire the cables from your current JuiceBox EVSE, and wire them up to the new OpenEVSE. The primary advantage here is that you won't be wasting the existing cables or going to the additional expense of having to buy new cables.
We will not comment on safety, for liability reasons. Continuing to use a JuiceBox on or after October 11, 2024, is strictly at your own risk.
Yes. The AP has released an article here. From the article: "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating complaints about some JuiceBox residential electric vehicle chargers after reports of fires and other electrical malfunctions as the manufacturer exits the market."
We would like to think that most JuiceBoxes will be able to be upgraded or changed such that they will remain useful for years to come, but it is much too soon to know what will happen long-term. We cannot make any specific recommendation.
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