EVSense: frequently asked questions

EVSense is an Android box that plugs into your original head unit's USB port and works through the car's Apple CarPlay, adding live EV data and EV Guardian battery monitoring.

One box, three jobs: it shows the EVSense screen on your car display through the car's CarPlay, EV Gauge shows live EV data read through a Vgate OBD adapter, and EV Guardian keeps an eye on the high-voltage battery. No new head unit and no wire cutting.

Meet EV Guardian · See tested cars

No. EVSense is not affiliated with Apple Inc. and is not endorsed by Apple.

We say "Apple CarPlay" only to explain that the box works through the CarPlay system already in your head unit. Car makes and models on this site are named only to describe compatibility; EVSense is not sponsored by any car maker.

Not all the time. CarPlay, EV Gauge and danger-level alerts run inside the box, even with no internet.

The box goes online over Wi-Fi to check membership, send email reports and get updates. Without internet, membership keeps working for 14 days after the box last reached our server.

No. EVSense only reads data; it never controls the car or changes anything in it.

EV data is read through a Vgate OBD adapter over Bluetooth, read-only. The car's own battery management system (BMS) and dashboard warnings remain the primary protection.

The difference is the storage capacity inside the box: 32 GB or 64 GB.

Not sure which one suits you? Ask us before you buy.

It works with cars whose head unit supports Apple CarPlay and that are on our tested list — not every car is supported.

Tested so far: BYD Dolphin · Geely EX2 · Omoda C5 EV · Ford SYNC 3 · Toyota CarPlay head unit (1 unit tested) · Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. EV data (EV Gauge and EV Guardian) only works on tested EVs; the non-EV cars on the list were tested for the CarPlay display only. If your car is not listed, it has not been tested yet — contact us before you buy.

See the tested-cars table with notes

EVSense can connect to the head unit wirelessly, but so far wireless has only been tested on the BYD Dolphin.

The BYD Dolphin is fully tested: wired CarPlay, wireless CarPlay and EV data. Other BYD models have not been tested yet. In every case the head unit must already support Apple CarPlay, because the EVSense screen shows up through the car's CarPlay — EVSense does not add CarPlay to a car that lacks it.

See the BYD Dolphin result

Yes, and no wire cutting is needed: plug the box into the USB port used for CarPlay and plug the OBD adapter into the OBD-II port.

The first start can take about a minute before the screen appears, and some cars need you to tap the CarPlay icon. An on-screen wizard then walks you through language, Wi-Fi, your car, Vgate pairing, report email and PDPA consent.

See the step-by-step guide

No. The Vgate OBD adapter comes in the EVSense box.

The Vgate adapter reads EV data for EV Gauge and EV Guardian. Plug it into the car's OBD-II port and pair it with the box over Bluetooth in the first-time setup wizard. Non-EV cars only use CarPlay and don't need it plugged in.

See the installation steps

Track the SOH (State of Health) value the car reports over several weeks, together with cell voltage spread and temperature — EV Guardian on the EVSense box does this for you automatically.

A single reading tells you little; a trend shows whether the battery is wearing faster than it should. The BYD Dolphin is fully tested. SOH is the value reported by the car, not our own measurement, and our reports are not a battery health certificate — for an official assessment, go to the car's service center.

What EV Guardian watches

SOH (State of Health) is an estimate of battery health compared with when it was new. EVSense shows the value your car reports, so accuracy depends on the car.

EVSense does not measure SOH itself, so don't judge by one number. Look at the weekly trend alongside other signals such as cell voltage spread and temperature.

Stay calm, pull over somewhere safe, switch the car off and contact the car's service center. If you notice smoke, a burning smell or unusual noises, get everyone out and keep away from the car.

Check the warning lights on the car's dashboard too — the car's BMS and dashboard warnings remain the primary protection. In an emergency, call emergency services right away. Danger-level alerts are free on every box.

What to do after a danger alert

EV Guardian members get a weekly report every Monday at 08:00 (Thailand time, ICT) with a PDF attached, plus an instant email when a confirmed level 2 or higher issue is found.

Level 2 email alerts are limited to one per day per issue; level 3 alerts are sent every time. You can tap "Send report now" on screen up to 3 times a day. Add up to 3 email addresses — each must press the confirm button in its email within 7 days before reports start. Reports come from [email protected], contain no VIN or location, and are not a battery health certificate.

See a sample report

The confirmation link works for 7 days. If it expired or never arrived, save the email settings on the car screen again and a new link is sent to every address still waiting.

Check your spam folder first — emails come from [email protected]. An unconfirmed address stays in the list on screen as “waiting for confirmation” and gets no reports. A new link can go to each address once every 24 hours; saving again sooner will not send another. Still nothing? Email [email protected] and we will resend it.

No. EVSense reports are not a battery health certificate; they are monitoring information for the owner only.

A report summarizes values the car reports (such as SOH) and what EV Guardian watches; it is not an expert inspection. For a battery condition document, contact the car's service center.

Free: CarPlay, EV Gauge and on-screen danger alerts with sound. EV Guardian members also get every alert level with advice, history and SOH trend, the cell map and email reports.

Our rule: danger alerts are never behind a paywall. The cell map only works on cars that report per-cell data. Every box gets a 30-day free EV Guardian trial.

Compare free and member · Pricing and how to subscribe

30 days per box, counted from the first time the box is activated.

The trial includes everything members get, email reports included. When it ends, danger-level alerts stay free.

Contact us and pay by bank transfer or PromptPay; an admin turns on your membership once the payment arrives.

There is no automatic online payment yet. Once the admin has turned it on, membership takes effect within a few minutes of the box going online.

How to subscribe

No. Your history is not deleted, and it all comes back when you renew.

While you are not a member, the battery health screen switches back to an intro page and email reports stop, but on-screen danger alerts with sound keep working.

No location (GPS) and no VIN. We keep battery data from the car, report recipient emails, the box ID and software version, and your settings.

Battery data means voltage, current, temperature, SOC, SOH, per-cell voltages, insulation, charging events and distance, logged once per second while the car is in use. Every box keeps a log on the device, but uploads to our server only for members or during the trial. Raw data is kept for 90 days; reports and daily summaries are kept for the length of the membership plus 1 year.

Read the privacy policy

Yes. Every report and alert email has an unsubscribe link that works right away, no login needed.

An address only starts getting reports after someone clicks the confirmation link in it, so nobody can sign you up without your say. You can edit the list in Settings on the car screen. Once you unsubscribe, nothing more is sent to that address — even if it is removed and added again on the screen. To start again, contact us to reopen it, then confirm from the email once more. Questions? Email [email protected].