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So you just leased or purchased your first EV?
Or maybe youre borrowing or renting an EV for the first time?
Well, youve come to the right place.
Lets go over some best practices to charge your EV in the smartest way possible.
Its by far the cheapest and most convenient way to charge.
Plus, theres nothing better than waking up to a full tank of electrons.
And if you charge at work, chances are its free or subsidized by your employer.
It just requires a different mindset, and a willingness to change your habits.
The idea is to be opportunistic.
Anytime your EV is parked somewhere is a good time to charge especially if you cant charge at home.
Embrace this approach, and charging will soon become second nature and wont feel like a hassle.
That usually means charging overnight, between midnight and 6AM.
That means charging the 81kWh pack in aModel Yfrom 20 to 80% for less than $5.00.
Same thing with DC fast charging.
Take the Tesla Supercharger in Federal Way, WA (near SeaTac airport), for example.
For night owls like me, who cant charge at home, this is perfect.
Its often available at shopping malls, box stores, and other businesses.
Use long-term parking for that 72-hour business trip, plug in, and come back to a fully-charged EV.
The same thing applies when charging your EV.
Apps likePlugShareshow you stations nearby, at your destination, and anywhere in between.
Basically, you dont want to hog a 350kW charger that would benefit someone with a faster-charging EV.
Also, be aware of the difference between per-kWh pricing and per-minute pricing.
Per-minute pricing is problematic because it generally penalizes slower-charging EVs.
In addition, avoid chargers with session fees (an additional flat fee for using the station).
Plus, ideally, you want routing to be updated in real-time.
There are many older, high-mileage EVs on the roads today still using their original battery.
But that doesnt mean EV batteries dont wear out.
In addition, charging speeds arent linear but decrease rapidly as the state of charge increases.
This is called battery preconditioning, and it helps achieve the fastest charging speeds.
So, if your EV includes this feature, use it.
