popak
Well-known member
Born from a discussion in another thread. Hoping a dedicated topic will make it easier to find and maintain.
Time plugged in: 12:08 AM
Scenario 1: Timer Start = 12:00 AM; End = 8:00 AM
Will start charging immediately because you are still within the defined charge timer window. Does not matter if you missed the start time. Because the end time is set, the window is clearly defined and the car knows to start charging.
Recommended: Users with TOU rates.
Good to know: When parking the car at a charging station for a few days (like at an airport), change your timer to scenario #4 or #5 (rather than using the Immediate Charge button in the car). First, this ensures that your car will begin charging immediately. Second, if someone unplugs you during a charge, charging will resume when they plug you back in again.
Scenario 2: Timer Start = 12:00 AM; End = <None>
Will NOT start charging immediately as the Start time has already been missed. Charging will start the next day at 12:00 AM. With this timer, charging will start ONLY IF the car is plugged in at the start time.
Recommended: Never. Relevant for TOU users but frankly seems like too dangerous a timer to use. See scenario #1 or #3 instead.
Scenario 3: Timer Start = <None>; End = 8:00 AM
May or may not start charging immediately but will charge the car today until 8 AM. The car automatically calculates the start time (based on the charge state of the battery) such that charging will end on or just before 8 AM.
If 12:08 AM happens to be on or before this calculated start time, the car will begin charging immediately and will stop at 8 AM. Note that if 12:08 AM is after the calculated start time, the battery may not charge completely to your requested percentage (80% or 100%) because there is not enough time before your end time of 8 AM.
Recommended: Users with TOU rates who can set the end time to the end of super off-peak rate. Has the added benefit of automatically staggering start times in a neighborhood with many LEAFs so not everyone is loading the transformer at 12 AM. Unless there is a specific reason to use this particular timer though, scenario #1 is probably preferred.
Good to know: When parking the car at a charging station for a few days (like at an airport), change your timer to scenario #4 or #5 (rather than using the Immediate Charge button in the car). First, this ensures that your car will begin charging immediately. Second, if someone unplugs you during a charge, charging will resume when they plug you back in again.
Scenario 4: No timer
Car will start charging immediately to 100%.
Recommended: Users with non-TOU (tiered) rates and who want to charge the battery to 100% every time. Those who want 80%, see scenario #5.
Scenario 5: Timer start = 12:00 AM; End = 12:00 AM
Will start charging immediately. Same as scenario #1 except the window is the entire 24 hour day. So, no matter when you plug in, you're always within the window.
To avoid getting the "Charging stopped" notification at midnight (which would happen if the car were already charged up to the requested %), some people prefer to set the 24-hour window to start/end at some other time during the day (like 2 PM - 2 PM), when they know that the car would not be plugged in or when the notification would be less annoying.
Recommended: Users with non-TOU (tiered) rates and who want to charge the battery to 80%. Those who want to go 100% always can simply go with scenario #4.
If anyone has any corrections, please let me know and I'll edit this post.
Time plugged in: 12:08 AM
Scenario 1: Timer Start = 12:00 AM; End = 8:00 AM
Will start charging immediately because you are still within the defined charge timer window. Does not matter if you missed the start time. Because the end time is set, the window is clearly defined and the car knows to start charging.
Recommended: Users with TOU rates.
Good to know: When parking the car at a charging station for a few days (like at an airport), change your timer to scenario #4 or #5 (rather than using the Immediate Charge button in the car). First, this ensures that your car will begin charging immediately. Second, if someone unplugs you during a charge, charging will resume when they plug you back in again.
Scenario 2: Timer Start = 12:00 AM; End = <None>
Will NOT start charging immediately as the Start time has already been missed. Charging will start the next day at 12:00 AM. With this timer, charging will start ONLY IF the car is plugged in at the start time.
Recommended: Never. Relevant for TOU users but frankly seems like too dangerous a timer to use. See scenario #1 or #3 instead.
Scenario 3: Timer Start = <None>; End = 8:00 AM
May or may not start charging immediately but will charge the car today until 8 AM. The car automatically calculates the start time (based on the charge state of the battery) such that charging will end on or just before 8 AM.
If 12:08 AM happens to be on or before this calculated start time, the car will begin charging immediately and will stop at 8 AM. Note that if 12:08 AM is after the calculated start time, the battery may not charge completely to your requested percentage (80% or 100%) because there is not enough time before your end time of 8 AM.
Recommended: Users with TOU rates who can set the end time to the end of super off-peak rate. Has the added benefit of automatically staggering start times in a neighborhood with many LEAFs so not everyone is loading the transformer at 12 AM. Unless there is a specific reason to use this particular timer though, scenario #1 is probably preferred.
Good to know: When parking the car at a charging station for a few days (like at an airport), change your timer to scenario #4 or #5 (rather than using the Immediate Charge button in the car). First, this ensures that your car will begin charging immediately. Second, if someone unplugs you during a charge, charging will resume when they plug you back in again.
Scenario 4: No timer
Car will start charging immediately to 100%.
Recommended: Users with non-TOU (tiered) rates and who want to charge the battery to 100% every time. Those who want 80%, see scenario #5.
Scenario 5: Timer start = 12:00 AM; End = 12:00 AM
Will start charging immediately. Same as scenario #1 except the window is the entire 24 hour day. So, no matter when you plug in, you're always within the window.
To avoid getting the "Charging stopped" notification at midnight (which would happen if the car were already charged up to the requested %), some people prefer to set the 24-hour window to start/end at some other time during the day (like 2 PM - 2 PM), when they know that the car would not be plugged in or when the notification would be less annoying.
Recommended: Users with non-TOU (tiered) rates and who want to charge the battery to 80%. Those who want to go 100% always can simply go with scenario #4.
If anyone has any corrections, please let me know and I'll edit this post.