Should I Charge My EV Every Night? Can I Leave My EV Plugged In Overnight?

The following are two common questions from new electric car owners and potential electric car owners: “Should I charge my EV every night?” and “Can I leave my EV plugged in overnight?” I’m going to tackle them both in a special BOGO/two-for-the-price-of-one article.

The answer to the first question is variable, depending on one’s circumstances and preferences, while the second question is a simple yes/no question and the answer is: yes — you can certainly leave your EV plugged in overnight, and most people do. It’s understandable that many people (most people?) initially wonder whether it’s okay to keep the car plugged in while you sleep. One could worry about fire risk, or about the chance that the car could keep drawing power and wasting money if you leave it plugged in. Neither concern is worth spending any mental energy on, though. Fire risk is phenomenally low. And once the car reaches the battery level you’ve set the car to charge to, it will simply stop drawing electricity. Think of it like your air conditioner — when the house is too hot, the AC turns on and sucks up electricity; when the house is cool enough, it shuts off again.

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