When is the best time to charge my electric vehicle?

The convenience of owning an electric vehicle is that, like any mobile electronic device, you can recharge the battery almost anywhere.

And currently (pardon the pun) EVs are significantly cheaper to run than a conventional car with an internal combustion engine.

That’s because the cost of electricity, which is measured in kiloWatt hours, is comparatively cheaper than the retail price for a litre of petrol.

Obviously, how much it costs to replenish the battery charge in an electric vehicle depends on how much electricity you put in. And when – and where – you recharge.

Y’see, just as petrol prices fluctuate during the week depending on demand (and more recently because of the global impact on the supply of crude oil due to the invasion of Ukraine), there are a number of factors that dictate the price of electricity from your household powerpoint.

First of all, most modern electric cars have enough battery capacity to cover the average daily commute for most Australians for an entire week.

So, unless you’re planning a long drive out of town, you should only need to replenish the battery once or twice a week. Unlike your mobile phone, it doesn’t need to be recharged every day.

And to ensure the car retains its useable driving range and prevent accelerated degradation of the cells, it is better for the battery if you deplete each charge cycle before topping it up again.

Most car-makers recommend that to maintain the battery’s state of health over a long period of time you should only recharge the battery between 10-80 per cent of its capacity.

So, the best time to recharge your EV is only when you need to.

And don’t leave your EV in the garage with a full battery for long periods of time either. This can stress the battery cells and accelerate degradation. Or, in the worse case scenario, create enough heat for the battery to catch fire.

If you’re away on holidays, for example, make sure the battery charge is somewhere below 60 per cent. And, obviously, don’t leave it on the charger.

If you drive your EV every day, you can save money by recharging at the right time of day – or location.

When charging your car from home, the energy you put into the battery will be charged to your household electricity bill.

And the price of electricity in Australia varies state to state.

The average cost per kWh is cheaper in New South Wales than it is South Australia, for example. So, recharging an EV in Sydney will be more cost-effective than it is in Adelaide at any time of the day.

Electricity costs can also vary depending on the energy provider you choose.

The Australian federal government sets a benchmark reference price that puts a ceiling on the retail price of electricity, but individual energy providers can choose to offer lower rates in order to be competitive and attract more customers.

So, the first thing to check is the price you’re paying for energy, which is usually referenced in cents per kiloWatt hour (c/kWh) on your monthly bill statement.

Also check whether the provider offers varying rates for peak and off-peak times. Most do, but some don’t and instead offer a slightly lower fixed price that could seem appealing.

As most EV owners are conscious of their carbon footprint. It can be important for some to know how much renewable energy their provider is either generating or using.

Some of the more progressive energy providers also offer added incentives to EV owners, such as discounted off-peak rates or regular rebates that come off your bill.

At the end of the day – almost literally – the best time to recharge your EV is at night to take advantage of lower off-peak electricity rates.

Off-peak times will vary according to your location and the meter type at your residence. If your house only has a single rate meter, the energy provider can only charge a standard price for electricity throughout the entire day. If you have a two-rate meter then you can take advantage of on- and off-peak rates.

On top of that, if your house has an interval meter then it can split the usage between peak, shoulder and off-peak times, providing a middle-ground rate for early morning and evening energy consumption.

Off-peak is when energy consumption is at its lowest, which generally starts around 8:00-10:00pm and concludes at 3:00-8:00am each day and can be between half to a third of the cost of electricity during the day.

But off-peak rates and times again vary depending on the energy provider, so check your bill, their website or call their customer hotline to find the exact details.

So you don’t have get out of bed at ungodly hours to either plug-in or remove the charger during off-peak periods, most EVs have a function that allows owners to schedule charging times, either through the infotainment system or via a mobile phone app.

With this, you can plug the car in to the charger but the battery won’t actually start drawing power from the grid until the designated time. And, similarly, it will stop recharging when either the battery is full or at a designated finish time.

If you have a smart home charger – essentially an electricity amplifier that increases the voltage to reduce charging times – it can also be pre-programmed to charge only at certain times of the day.

Basically, charging an EV is just as convenient as keeping your mobile phone topped-up. The simple rule is only re-fill the battery when you need to and do it when you don’t need the car – usually at night.