- Enel X suddenly left the US market without the first JuiceBox support system, to work
- The JuiceBox line is among the most widely used smart EV chargers in the US
- A letter was sent to the FTC, alarming about connected devices relying on the company's servers
If you already rely on smart EV charging as part of your daily routine, and you have one of the most popular smart chargers in the US, you may need to come up with a backup plan for the old technology.
Earlier this month, EV charger provider Enel X sent a message to US users of its smart chargers—including the JuiceBox line—essentially saying that in nine days it was over. pulling the plug on its charging business in the US
That might have meant that the only ongoing support for its smart chargerswhich require Enel servers to operate. So its “smart” chargers, which consumers paid a premium for, may have be “dumb” chargersreturns to basic settings. That might keep them working as chargers, but it makes them useless for all the smart and connected reasons for the consumers they chose. They can no longer initiate charging with a smartphone, even at home, or monitor a charging session in an app, such things. depends on the company's servers.
The move sent shockwaves throughout the EV industry, and raised some important questions that have yet to be resolved beyond small print users who may have jumped on the app deal. How long are companies that make smart, connected devices responsible for supporting them? What happens when something big and important in everyday transportation, such as an EV charger—tested by experts for years, and widely supported by car manufacturers and charging systems—is suddenly “built with bricks” due to lack of support of the brand behind it?
eMotorWerks JuiceBox wall mount charger for Tesla Model X
“Bricked” products and lack of consumer protection
Before the JuiceBox fiasco, the issue had begun to build steam with a concentrated effort in Washington, DC. manufacturer's software and servers with a letter to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Examples at the time were several products from a series of failed startups, including a connected bassinet, sous vide cooker, juicer, and smart plug, Amazon's Halo wearable and Google's Dropcam cameras were cited as “bricked-in” products ” unusually short support window.
But now, with Enel's swift move to exit the market, there's another more glaring example—one that could include a four-figure electricity bill and possibly public incentives.
Similarly, the JuiceBox smart chargers, which retails for $600 to $1,600it is not the current product of a small start-up but a large international company. The announcements come from Enel X Way USA LLC, a unit of Italian-based energy giant Enel, which was the 59th largest company in the world, according to the Fortune Global 500.
A notice from Liquid Asset Partners—when Enel sent JuiceBox users, as of Thursday—specifies that there are approximately 120,000 residential customers (mostly JuiceBox chargers), 25,000 commercial customers, and an additional JuiceBox chargers of -17,000, all of which require new software. An as-a-service agreement, labeled as an “opportunity.”
On Thursday Consumer Reports and US PIRG, two of the authors of the FTC's previous letter, and 60 JuiceBox charger owners took up the matter, formally asking the FTC to “investigate Enel X's conduct.”
Enel application error message – Oct. 11, 2024
After FTC letter, “long-term” support
Then later on Thursday, Enel gave the owners some assurance that the chargers will not be bricked immediately (note that as of Friday, GCR saw the opposite, above). But their future remains uncertain.
“Enel X Way USA continues to work with a third party company to manage the closure of the business on October 11, 2024,” Enel X Way said in an email update sent to registered users (this writer included) on Oct. 10. “After further technical evaluation, the company has entered into an agreement with the current supplier to continue using the EV charging software in the US and Canada for a long time.”
The company also left a clear idea of what that support window is, but it seems that owners will keep the connected charger working for a certain number of weeks after Oct. 11.
Green Car Reports has reached out to Enel for clarification on how long full operation is expected to last, once the apparent server issues at the time of writing are resolved. In its Thursday evening warning to owners, Enel said it will continue to “use EV charging software in the US and Canada. for a long time,” but called the move a “temporary solution.”
“While JuiceBox products will continue to work through software connectivity after October 11, 2024, customer service will be unavailable during this time,” the company added as part of that Thursday statement, noting that a third-party company will handle claims. and communications after October 11.
eMotorwerks JuiceBox Pro 40 networked home EVSE electric vehicle charging station
eMotorwerks JuiceBox Pro 40 networked home EVSE electric vehicle charging station
It's not a no-name EV charger; among the best rated and most common
The original JuiceBox EV chargers were among the leaders in smart EV charging, and were previously the standard for connectivity, data access, and usability. argued against Tesla's well-received wall boxes. Because of its great interaction and—previously—its a well-reviewed smartphone appJuiceBox is used by a variety of time-of-use charging programs, as well as businesses that want to track and document their energy usage.
Enel bought the original creator of JuiceBox chargers, California-based eMotorWerks, in 2017. The Chargers got a new, more fashionable body look for 2020, but the interface and power have moved on. Since then, performance has declined as the company has switched to several different versions of apps and systems, leaving owners with an app that is less responsive and less efficient than what they had before.
But the timing of Enel X's exit looks suspicious. NHTSA revealed, in documents filed just a day after the company's initial announcement that it was leaving the US market, that investigates JuiceBox residential chargers regarding reports of “electrical and thermal events,” listed six confirmed incidents including two fires.
It can be difficult on so many levels. As EV charging expert and GCR contributor Tom Moloughney, in his recent State of Charge podcast (below), points out, Enel X may have more Level 2 chargers in use in the North American market than any who but ChargePoint.
As Chargelab CEO Michael Bakumin points out in a podcast, which you might want to watch if you own one of these units, most residential and commercial chargers from Enel X are proprietary and don't actually use the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). ). That's an “open source” language for chargers, which would allow the charger to be easily configured for new networks and interfaces. Although Chargelab has been able to transport commercial chargers, if Enel pulls all support it is not even possible to bring them back online every time. For example, it can take 15-30 minutes per charger to make changes—meaning an apartment building with 20 L2 Chargers will handle a full day's worth of skilled workers.
It's also very complicated with the process of doing it with residential chargers, so the best hope remains an ongoing software deal—and given the lack of time with Friday's announcement, we're not there yet.
Tesla Universal Wall Connector
Many questions about the dependence of EVs on networks, the cloud
The bottom line here is that business is changing. Almost all major car manufacturers now offer their own smart charging hardware and home power, or a preferred type of smart charging that matches their product application.
A a smart charger may not be required with most EVs you can simply set charging times and power levels with the EV itself—and that may be better in the end than relying on network servers or data from the cloud.
It may also beg the question of whether Enel owes the US government (or the states) money for cutting its support window so short, as most of these chargers it was bought in part with public subsidiesor were part of community programs.
The FTC's September letter summarized that “too often, consumers end up with e-waste that could work with the right software, and a sense of disappointment.”
Those groups asked for a minimum guaranteed support time for connected products, a guarantee that the product will still work if the Internet connection or updates stop, ways to reuse it if support ends, tools that help interoperability, and an effort to build longevity into the products. .
Electrify America Electric Vehicle Home Charger
Of course, this doesn't even begin to address issues with cybersecurity, or whether or not failing to support smart chargers will make them more vulnerable to hackers.
Meanwhile, seeking to address a variety of such concerns about security, accessibility, and long-term performance, a group of owners called Juice Rescue wants the company to release the charger's source code.
And for now, this stands as a disappointing charge along with all the benefits it can bring. As the Department of Energy has pointed out, its technology accelerates grid demand, making EV driving even greener and, In general, it makes life with EVs easier.
In short, planning your EV charging habits for your peak performance and peak rates is great, but rethink how your charging needs to be connected to the cloud—even when it's time to charge. And perhaps most importantly, look for smart charging hardware that is OCPP compliant, ensuring that it is still fully operational in the future if the company fails or the support window ends.