This guide will walk you through common reasons why your car might not be charging and how to resolve them. For more complex problems or installation-related issues, contact your installer for assistance. 

If your car is charging slower than expected, check out: Why is my car charging slower than expected?

Zaptec Go light colors: Quick reference

The lights on your Zaptec Go give you valuable clues about what's happening: 

• Green: Charging paused or waiting.
• Blue: Power is provided, but the car is not accepting it.
• Yellow: Waiting for authorisation.
• Red: Authorisation failed or permanent error.
• No light: The charging station isn't receiving power. 

For more details, visit: What do the different colors on the Zaptec Go mean?

The car is not accepting power 

Your car is the "boss" of the charging process, deciding if and how much power to accept.

If the charger light is blue, the Zaptec Go is ready and providing power, but your car isn’t drawing power. 

You can check the charging status in the Zaptec app or portal. Here, the charging station has assigned 2.3 kW, but the car is drawing 0 kW, meaning it isn't charging at all. This typically indicates an issue with the car or its configuration. After a while, the charging station will pause charging, and the light will turn green (indicating that charging has been stopped by the car).

What to check:

1. Check your car's dashboard for any error messages or notifications about charging.
   • Your car might display a message like "charging delayed".
2. Make sure your car's settings allow it to accept power. 
   • Some cars have charging schedules or eco modes that delay charging. Double-check these settings. 
3. Test with a different charging cable or car to see if the problem persists. 
   • If a different car charges successfully, the issue might be with your car. 
4. Verify the electrical setup of your charging station.
   
   • If the charging station is set up as a 3-phase system but the electrical grid is 1-phase, the mismatch can prevent charging.
   • Solution can be to reconfigure the wiring to match the local network. 

If none of these steps solve the problem, contact your installer for further investigation.

Zaptec Go configured incorrectly for the electrical grid

If the charging station is installed for another electrical grid (e.g., 3-phase) that doesn't match your local network (e.g., 1-phase), it won't work properly.

Example:

You’ve just installed a new charging station, but your car isn’t charging. After checking with the installer, you find out the station is configured for a 3-phase grid, but your home only has a 1-phase supply.

Solution: 

Ask your installer to re-configure the wiring to match the local network. 

If Zaptec Go is flashing green 

A green light means charging is paused or waiting to start. This could happen due to:

1. Scheduled charging:
   • The charging station is waiting for a programmed time to begin (like overnight for cheaper electricity).
2. Smart charging:
   • Features like Eco Mode or third-party systems (e.g., Tibber) may delay charging to optimise energy use. 
3. Load balancing (Zaptec Sense):
   • If power usage in your home is high, Zaptec Sense or another load balancer may pause charging to prevent overloading.
   • Check power availability in the Zaptec Portal under Energy management or through the third-party app ( if you are using one). 
4. Incorrect installation values:
   • The charging station might have an incorrect maximum current setting.
   • Check the Zaptec Portal under Energy Management > Circuit, to ensure installation values are correct.

Yellow light: Waiting for authorisation

A yellow light means the charging station is waiting for authorisation to start charging. 

Possible causes:

1. Backoffice configuration: A charging card may be required to start charging.
2. Authorisation failure:
   • If the Zaptec Go turns red right after autorisation, the autorisation has failed.
   • Retry autorisation or check if you have access to the installation
   • If a third-party system is connected, reach out to the third party.

Load balancing is pausing charging

Zaptec Sense, the load balancing system, can pause charging if household power usage is too high. When this happens, the charging station will turn green, temporarily pausing charging. The power should be released after a short period if there is no other usage. 

What to do:

1. Check main fuse settings:
   • Ensure the main fuse value for Zaptec Sense is correctly set. You can check this under the Energy Management section in the portal.
     
     
2. Verify available current:
   • Charging requires at least 6A on any of the three phases. If less power is available on any of the three phases, charging won't start.
   • The installer can check the charging current that Zaptec Sense is currently providing to the charger in the Energy Management section of the Zaptec Portal.
     
     
3. Reconnect Zaptec Sense if it's offline:
   • If Zaptec Sense is offline, charging may stop to protect the main fuse.
   • Use the Zaptec app to reconnect it and set an offline power limit to ensure minimal charging continues. Link to guide: How to connect Zaptec Sense to the internet.
   • You can check the connection status via the Zaptec app or in the portal under Energy Management. If this panel is yellow, it means the sensor is offline or not receiving data. At the bottom, under Minimum Available Current, you can set the offline power limit, which the system will switch to if Zaptec Sense goes offline.
     
     
     
     

Third-party apps are delaying charging

Third-party apps like Tibber or Enegic may set charging schedules or limit charging speeds. 

What to check:

• Verify the app's settings for scheduling or charging speed limits.
• Contact the third-party provider for support if needed.

If Zaptec Go shows a red light

A red light usually means there’s an error.

What to do:

1. Check the Zaptec Portal or app for error messages.

   • Example: An error message like "Overcurrent detected" or "Authorisation failed" can point to the issue.

2. If the light flashes red briefly after you try to authorise charging, the authorisation has failed.
   • Solution: Try authorising again with your charging card or app.

If the error persists, contact your installer.

No light: Zaptec Go isn't receiving power 

If there's no light on the charging station, it's not receiving power.

What to check:

1. Confirm that power is on.
2. Check the circuit breakers or electrical connection. 

If unresolved, contact your installer. 

Updated 28 February 2025 13:44