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Can I leave my electric car plugged in?

I’ve just bought my first EV and I love it! However, I’m a little unsure about charging and how it works. Am I able to leave my car plugged in for a long period of time? Or will that be detrimental to my battery?

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Tom Hindle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Congrats on the new car! EVs are a fantastic investment, and you’re helping out the environment, too. Charging should be simple, right? Just plug in and go. However, as you suspected, it’s not quite that simple. In fact, it’s actually bad for your battery to leave it plugged in all the time, as it could lead to long-term damage.
So, there are a few steps you can take to know when you should unplug your EV for the night.
  • Consult your owner’s manual to see how fast your car charges
  • Check what your vehicle’s full range capability is
  • Keep track of how many miles you tend to use on an average day
If you’re on top of your vehicle use and charging rate, you should be able to figure out when it needs a bit of juice, and when it can be left alone. This is particularly relevant for older models, as you might need to put in a little extra work to make sure they don’t overcharge.
However, this is where it pays to have a newer car. More recently manufactured EVs tend to have a feature that stops the vehicle from charging once it reaches a certain percentage of battery juice—much like your iPhone does. So, you won’t have to keep an eye. Rather you can just plug and leave it alone.
It’s important to know that
car insurance
for electric vehicles isn’t all that different from other cars. And if you’re buying a new ride, it’s vital to make sure you’re set up with all of the standard trimmings of a perfect package.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

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