The Honda SmartCharge Service makes certain services and programs available to you, including the ability to calculate the optimum times to charge your electric vehicle to reduce the impact on the electrical grid, which we call “Managed Charging”.  In addition, from time to time, we may offer Honda SmartCharge programs in which eligible participants have the opportunity to earn rewards.

With a little information from you, Honda and its service providers are able to calculate the optimum times to charge your electric vehicle to reduce the impact on the electrical grid and to produce a charging schedule, or “SmartCharge Schedule”, for your electric vehicle.  Honda, in coordination with its service provider, will then update your vehicle’s charging schedule in real-time based on your desired charging times and electrical grid adjustment factors, such as electricity market conditions.  We refer to our management of your charging schedule as “Managed Charging”.

Managed Charging through the Honda SmartCharge Service is known as a “demand flexibility program.” Normally, you come home, connect your electric vehicle to your charging station, and leave it overnight. Your vehicle charges immediately, or during the pre-programmed times, and doesn’t do much else until you use it again. Once you’re enrolled in the Honda SmartCharge Service, your actions to charge are the same, but during the time your vehicle is plugged in, Honda, either directly or through its service provider, computes, and then adjusts in real-time, the best time to charge your vehicle. While your vehicle is charging, Honda’s service provider monitors the electrical grid to know when congestion is low and when renewable energy production is high and, using that data, notifies Honda when to start and stop charging for the greenest, most efficient result.

During setup, you pick the earliest and latest times you want to allow charging. This allows Honda to know when you need your vehicle charged. At all times, Managed Charging will attempt to honor the end charging times supplied by you, such that your vehicle is available for use at the requested state of charge level at the desired time. 

No. Your needs are always the first priority and you are able to override our system’s recommendations at any time, for any reason.

However, if you are participating in a Honda SmartCharge program and you override a SmartCharge session, you may not earn rewards for the session. We understand overriding when you need the vehicle, but recommend that you try to stick to your SmartCharge Schedule as much as you can to help the environment and, if applicable, earn maximum rewards!

No. Reductions in power for SmartCharge sessions have no effect on the rest of your home. Managed Charging is limited solely to your participating Honda Clarity vehicle.

No. Your vehicle must be able to communicate via cellular network to Honda’s servers. You can check your vehicle’s cellular signal strength when parking by reading the multi-information display. See page 133 of the owners manual.

The electric vehicle is one of the largest electrical loads in the home. It is also the most flexible–charging may only takes a few hours at most, but the vehicle often sits plugged in for many hours.  Managed Charging takes advantage of this flexibility by scheduling charging when most optimal for the electric grid. Our solution automatically starts and stops charging of vehicles in response to signals that indicate the level of demand and emissions on the grid are high or low.

Our ultimate goal is that when renewable energy is more available, your vehicle will charge, and when congestion is high, your vehicle won’t charge. This allows you to be a “good neighbor” on the grid by not adding to the congestion, while also reducing your impact on the environment. However, at all times, Managed Charging will attempt to honor the end charging times supplied by you, such that your vehicle is available for use at the requested state of charge level at the desired time.

By combining many vehicles together and shifting their charging around, Honda can use Honda Clarity vehicles as grid assets, essentially acting like a power plant in reverse. We ramp up charging when demand is low, and ramp down when demand is high. With enough vehicles, the grid operators eventually may be able to reduce their reliance on operating gas power plants to back up renewables like wind and solar. Currently, grid operators keep some power plants operating to prepare for reductions in wind and solar. With rapid response Managed Charging and tens of thousands of connected electric vehicles, we could be able to avoid having those power plants online, making the grid cleaner!

No problem. Having solar does not conflict with Honda SmartCharge and Managed Charging.

No. Managed Charging is designed to ensure that your vehicle is ready by the time you need it. Your needs are a higher priority than renewable energy availability. We strive to maximize renewable energy usage, but if it is not available, we will still charge your vehicle so that it is ready when you need it. Also, if you know you need your vehicle charged immediately, tap the “Stop SmartCharge” button to end the SmartCharge session, then tap the “CHARGE NOW” button on the main screen of the HondaLink mobile app, or use your key fob to initiate a charge.

If you are on a time of use rate, you can still participate in Honda SmartCharge.  When you set up your Managed Charging preferences, be sure to set your start and end times in your off peak or super off peak period to maximize your time of use savings.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at: https://automobiles.honda.com/information/customer-relations#contact-us