Getting started

July 9, 2026 · View on GitHub

Supported hardware

Most ESP32 boards can run this firmware (see platformio.ini for the full list); the best-supported board is the OpenEVSE WiFi V1 module. Wired Ethernet is supported on the Olimex ESP32 Gateway and similar boards.

WiFi modules

WiFi setup

Out of the box (or after a WiFi reset) the unit broadcasts a WiFi access point named OpenEVSE_XXXX:

  1. Connect your phone or laptop to that network (default password: openevse). A captive portal should open automatically — if not, browse to http://192.168.4.1.
  2. Select your home WiFi network from the scan list, enter its passphrase, and connect.
  3. Re-join your home network and open http://openevse-XXXX.local (or the unit's IP address).

If the connection fails (wrong password, network out of range), the unit returns to access-point mode after a short while so you can reconfigure it, and retries the saved network every 5 minutes. Holding the unit's button for about 5 seconds forces access-point mode at any time.

First-run wizard

On first connection the web UI walks you through the basics — charging current, time zone, and connectivity:

Setup wizard

Everything the wizard configures can be changed later under Settings.

Status LEDs

The charging-station LCD backlight and/or RGB pixels indicate status:

  • Off — initialising
  • Active: green = no EV connected · yellow = connected, not charging · teal = charging · red = fault
  • Sleeping/disabled: teal = EV connected · violet = EV disconnected

The first RGB pixel also shows WiFi status: slow-flashing yellow = access point waiting / connecting as client · fast-flashing violet = a device is connected to the access point · green = connected to your network.

Next steps