Route Planning: Using Actual Waypoint Data

Entering actual waypoint times and state of charge while taking the trip.

The Big Picture

In this tutorial we are going to describe how to use EVTO while you are on the trip to document and optionally make corrections based on the actual arrival and departure times and state of charge at waypoints.

For illustrative purposes this tutorial will cover:

  1. Review a simple trip
  2. Review the Waypoint Inspector panel
  3. Review the Actual WP Data panel and associative features
  4. Entering actual waypoint data
  5. Resetting/Clearing actual waypoint data
  6. Displaying a chart with estimated and actual data
  7. Calculate using actual waypoint data
  8. Using the Refresh Auto Chargers with actual waypoint data

Some of the terminology used in this tutorial and the EV world may be new to you. We have created a special webpage to help you understand these terms and concepts.

Note: This tutorial requires EVTO 5.1 or greater to be installed on your device.

A simple trip to Disneyland from Sacramento

Step 1. Create the Trip

For this example we are going to be taking a trip from Sacramento, California to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. We will be driving a Model 3 SR car and make one stop to meet friends and then two stops for charging along the way. You can see the routing in the above image. This is a very basic trip with the one manual waypoint and two EVTO provided automatic supercharger stops along the route. All stops of course are shown with green pushpins indicating we will arrive at or well above the desired arrival SoC.

Origin Waypoint Inspector

Step 2: Starting the Trip

When we visit each stop we are going to record the following using EVTO’s actual data feature:

  • Actual departure time (for non destination stops)
  • Actual arrival time (for non origin stops)
  • Actual departure SoC (for non charging and destination stops)
  • Actual arrival SoC (for non origin stops)

EVTO has a hidden feature embedded into each waypoints inspector behind the battery icon. To access this feature:

  1. Select a waypoint pushpin. In this case the origin.
  2. Touch the battery icon. The Actual WP Data dialog will appear.

Origin Actual WP Data Dialog

As you can see from the image above at the origin we can capture our actual departure time and SoC.

You can enter your actual departure time in the top input panel or to set the current time in that field, select the clock icon.

You can enter your actual departure SoC in the input field to the left of the rangeslider or move the rangeslider to the level you are departing at.

The estimated values that EVTO determined are shown to the left of the time input and above the rangeslider.

At anytime you can clear the actual values for this waypoint from the application by selecting the Reset button. If you select Cancel, all changes will be lost.

Origin Waypoint with Actual Data

When you select Save your changes will be stored in the trips waypoint data. Nothing will actually happen to the trips estimates with the default settings.  See the section titled Estimate Trip with Actual Data later in this tutorial.

Note: None of the inputs are required so you can enter any or none actual data as is required. For example you could enter just a time and not a SoC value. You can later edit or amend your values as needed.

You will notice that when you return to the map that the origin pushpin has now turned to a gold color. This signifies that you have entered actual waypoint data and obviously that you have successfully arrived at this waypoint.

Actual WP Data Dialog for a Non Charging Waypoint

Step 3: Actual Data for Non Charging Waypoint

Continuing on with our trip we are going to make a quick stop to meet some friends before continuing to Disneyland. In this case we are stopping at a non charging waypoint. We can enter:

  • The actual arrival time
  • The actual departure time
  • The actual arrival SoC

To enter our actual data at this non charging waypoint:

  1. As before select the waypoint pushpin. The Waypoint Inspector will appear.
  2. Select the battery icon. The Actual WP Data dialog will appear.
  3. Enter the arrival time but leave the departure time blank.
  4. Enter the actual arrival SoC
  5. Select Save to store your actual waypoint data.

The map will display again and this time the waypoint will also receive a gold colored pushpin.

Actual WP Data Dialog at Charging Stop

Step 4: Actual Data for Charging Waypoint

Continuing on with our trip we are going to make our first charging stop. We can enter:

  • The actual arrival time
  • The actual departure time
  • The actual arrival SoC
  • The actual departure SoC

To enter our actual data at this charging waypoint:

  1. As before select the waypoint pushpin. The Waypoint Inspector will appear.
  2. Select the battery icon. The Actual WP Data dialog will appear.
  3. Enter the actual arrival time.
  4. Enter the actual arrival SoC.
  5. Select Save to store your actual waypoint data.

After your charging is complete and just before you leave the charger you can update your actual data with the departure information.

  1. As before select the waypoint pushpin. The Waypoint Inspector will appear.
  2. Select the battery icon. The Actual WP Data dialog will appear.
  3. Enter the actual departure time.
  4. Enter the actual departure SoC.
  5. Select Save to store your actual waypoint data.

The map will display again and this time the charging waypoint will also receive a gold colored pushpin.

Continue on the trip and repeat this procedure when you get to each charger and/or waypoint.

Destination Actual Data Input

Step 5: Entering the Destination Actual Data

We have now arrived at our destination and we have one final set of data to input. We can enter the following:

  • The actual arrival time
  • The actual arrival SoC.

To complete our final actual data input:

  1. As before select the waypoint pushpin. The Waypoint Inspector will appear.
  2. Select the battery icon. The Actual WP Data dialog will appear.
  3. Enter the actual arrival time.
  4. Enter the actual arrival SoC.
  5. Select Save to store your actual waypoint data.

All Waypoints with Actual Data

You have now entered all of the actual data for each of the waypoints. You will notice from the image above that all of the waypoints have received their gold pushpin.

Actual vs Estimated Chart

Step 6: Show Actual vs Estimated Chart

EVTO will not only capture your actual data but can also chart the differences between the estimated values and the actual values you captured.  To show the Actual vs Estimated SoC chart:

  1. Select Segment Details from the Plans menu. The Segment Details panel will appear.
  2. Select Actual vs Estimated from the Segment Details menu. The Actual vs Estimated chart will appear.

The chart will depict each waypoints arrival and departure SoC as appropriate in a stacked bar form. The legend at the top will depict the color coding.

You can optionally use the menu to share this chart image or to display the data in a CSV format to be used in a spreadsheet.

My Cars Dialog with Actual Checkbox

Step 7: Estimate Trip with Actual Data

Up to this point each time we saved our actual WP data about the only thing that was apparent to you was the EVTO was storing the actual data and changing the pushpin colors to gold.

Note: If at any time you selected the Reset button and then immediately did a Save during the actual input, EVTO would revert that waypoints pushpin to the original estimated value color.

Now we would like to have EVTO make adjustments to its estimates based on each of our actual waypoints values. Sort of a “self correcting” feature.  To do this we need to make a small change in the My Cars dialog for the car attached to this trip.

  1. Select My Cars from the main menu.
  2. Verify in the top pull down the car profile in use.
  3. Select the Other tab (it turns blue).
  4. Check the Calculate on Actual SoC checkbox.
  5. Select Save. The main menu will display.
  6. Select the Resume Trip button.
  7. Select one of the waypoint pushpins and bring up the Actual WP Data dialog as before.
  8. Now select Save without making any changes. The dialog will disappear and the “calculating status bar” will appear briefly.

If you go to any of the waypoints or look at the SoC chart, you will notice that EVTO is now using your actual SoC values in it’s estimates. Each waypoint should arrive and depart based on the actual values you have given EVTO. If you have not provided a value EVTO will attempt to estimate the next value based on the prior actual value.

Note: At this point as long as the Calculate on Actual SoC checkbox is checked, EVTO will use this actual data whenever you make any change to the trip.

Refresh Warning with Actual Data

Note: When you have added actual data to a segments waypoints, EVTO will no longer attempt to do a Refresh Auto Chargers operation on that segment. It will move to the next segment that does not have actual data as it’s first segment to determine optimized charging. This is to protect your actual data and also speed up this operation as it would be useless to reevaluate segments you have already visited.

Wrap-up

We have shown you how to quickly create a simple trip in EVTO with it’s automatic routing and charging allocation. We have also shown you how to add additional stops (waypoints) that you may want to include in your trip. And we have shown you how to do a deeper dive into the details, or behind the scene information, that could be beneficial to your trip planning.

Be sure to review all of the EVTO website content when you get a chance to increase the effectiveness of your use with EVTO in trip planning.

Loading the Tutorial Trip

You may see the final results of this tutorial within EVTO by importing this trip. Follow these instructions:

  1. Go to Settings and verify or change the region to North America
  2. Go to My Cars and verify or set the features for the car depicted in this tutorial.
  3. Go to Current Trips and select the Import menu item
  4. Enter the Trip ID of sgrf19ukb7ots0rxrp2w4 and the PIN as 1234.
  5. You will be warned that if you want to share the trip you will have to make a copy first.
  6. Select the newly loaded trip and it will open in the Plans panel
  7. Select Edit Trip from the menu and change the date to a date you would be interested in taking the trip.
  8. Select Save.

Got an idea for a tutorial? Let us know!