What does Scheduled Charging mean?

Explanation

Scheduled charging lets you plug in your car when you get home but delay the actual charging until a set time, such as midnight when electricity rates are lower. You plug in, the car recognizes it is connected, but it waits until the scheduled time to start drawing power.

Most EVs let you set a charging schedule through the car's infotainment system or phone app. You can typically set different schedules for different days, or use a simple "start at" time. Some electricity providers offer EV-specific tariffs with significantly cheaper overnight rates, making scheduled charging genuinely valuable.

There is an important distinction between scheduled charging (set a start time) and departure time (set when you want to leave). With departure time, the car calculates when it needs to start charging to reach your charge limit by your departure, and it may also precondition the cabin so it is warm when you leave. Scheduled charging gives you more control. Departure time gives you more convenience.

This standard is maintained by U.S. Department of Energy AFDC.

Where you'll see this

• On your car dashboard
• In charging network apps

Common confusion

Sometimes scheduled charging is set and the driver forgets about it. They plug in at a public charger and wonder why charging does not start. The car is waiting for the scheduled time. Disable the schedule or use manual override at public chargers.

Example

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