When is the best time to plug in for EV charging with scheduled departure?

[Edward.H]

I’m trying to decide if I should use my EV’s scheduled departure feature every day or just rely on plugging in when I remember. My commute is pretty consistent, but I worry that keeping the battery at a high state of charge for hours each morning might be harder on the pack than a shorter charging window right before I leave.

[JeffreyUG]

I set a 7:15 departure and charged to 80% last night for a couple weeks. It’s nice to wake up knowing I’m leaving with enough battery, and the morning routine is smoother. I didn’t notice any extra aging or big drop in efficiency from having it sit at that level for a few hours, but I also can’t claim it’s a proven thing.

[EricR]

I tried just plugging in when I remember for a month. Sometimes the car had plenty of range, other times I forgot and started with a lower SOC. The energy difference in the drive was tiny—like a percent or two—but the mental cost of remembering was real.

[Aria.L]

Maybe the worry is overblown. If the packs are designed for daily high SOC, the real bottleneck might be winter heating or drive efficiency, not the charging window. Do you actually see meaningful degradation in a few months, or is it mostly anxiety about routines?

[Brian_H]

I still feel torn. The schedule helps a lot on boring workdays, but on days with changeable plans I end up improvising. The question of real aging vs convenience is hard to pin down.