Keep car plugged in when at home?

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Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

Is this a good idea or a bad idea? Does the answer depend on generally short journeys or longer ones, or doesn’t matter.
Sorry if this is covered somewhere else - I did search - honest!

mediaguy
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Post by mediaguy »

Absolutely, may as well use the mains when you pre-heat the car.

The main thing is to avoid topping up to 100% (>80%) when you aren't going to use the car, but that's why the car defaults to charging to 80%. Leave it plugged in, use the timing options to use cheaper or greener energy at night if you wish.
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Deleted User 192

Post by Deleted User 192 »

For what purpose?

If you might need the range in an emergency or on a daily basis, keep the battery topped up to the level you need.

If you want to pre-heat the cabin without using battery capacity, make that happen while the charger is supplying power.

Otherwise, why?
ItshardtobuyId3
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Post by ItshardtobuyId3 »

scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:28 pm For what purpose?

If you might need the range in an emergency or on a daily basis, keep the battery topped up to the level you need.

If you want to pre-heat the cabin without using battery capacity, make that happen while the charger is supplying power.

Otherwise, why?
He is asking because doesn’t know if it is generally a good idea or not. As in, do most people plug their cars in every night and if they do then why. I don’t see how asking why he asked is helpful…

@op, unless you are using a standard plug socket charger then there is probably no benefit to plugging the car in every night unless you need to for range.

VW state that you should try to keep the battery between 20% and 80% in summer and 40% and 80% in winter. On that basis I intend to plug my car in overnight to charge if I’m likely to go below the recommended minimum charge the next day. If you are on an EV electricity tariff where it is cheaper between certain times then using mains electricity to pre-heat in winter instead of the battery will just make the car more expensive to run (unless you need the range).

This is just from what I’ve read / watched so I could be taking rubbish 🤞

On a side note, I suspect the 40% in winter is to allow for the battery management system heating the batteries… so people aren’t caught short on range.
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Deleted User 192

Post by Deleted User 192 »

ItshardtobuyId3 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:53 pm
scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:28 pm For what purpose?

If you might need the range in an emergency or on a daily basis, keep the battery topped up to the level you need.

If you want to pre-heat the cabin without using battery capacity, make that happen while the charger is supplying power.

Otherwise, why?
I don’t see how asking why he asked is helpful…

Well pardon me for asking 🙄🤦‍♂️
blenny
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Post by blenny »

The main drivers for when to charge seem to be
- ahead of known journeys that will need it
- maintaining optimal battery health

The first one seems individual. For the second I suspect always charging would somehow be bad but not sure. For us we tend to be 40% to 80% at all times, and 100% overnight ahead of big trips.
mediaguy
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Post by mediaguy »

I suspect always charging would somehow be
I don't have my car yet, but I don't think always being plugged in is the same as always charging.

Plug the car in at 81%, set to keep charge at 80%, and nothing will happen. If you want to have a routine of coming home and plugging in, I don't see the issue.

You don't need to, but it doesn't hurt.
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Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:29 pm
ItshardtobuyId3 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:53 pm
scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:28 pm For what purpose?

If you might need the range in an emergency or on a daily basis, keep the battery topped up to the level you need.

If you want to pre-heat the cabin without using battery capacity, make that happen while the charger is supplying power.

Otherwise, why?
I don’t see how asking why he asked is helpful…

Well pardon me for asking 🙄🤦‍♂️
Calm down, calm down. I should have been more explicit but I was interested in keeping the topic general.
My main reason for asking opinions, is that I have read that it's a good idea to pre-heat with the car plugged in. So parking up overnight, If I don't plug it in, I have to go all the way out to the garage (that's difficult isn't it!) and plug it in before pre-heating. If my charge level didn't necessarily require a recharge overnight, by plugging it in to pre-heat, it will now begin to charge. Or can you (should you) stop it from charging.
Never had this problem when I went to a petrol station in my ICE. :lol:
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Utumno
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Post by Utumno »

I think this is just another form of range anxiety 😀

In my case I expect I’ll be less worried about range and more worried about cost - better to burn 5p/kWh cheap rate electricity than 13.8p/kWh peak rate (when I expect most pre-heating to be happening)

Your mileage (ahem) may vary of course and your decision making more informed by range concerns than mine is.
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Post by sidehaas »

Can I have some 13.8p electricity please? Mine is currently 21p! :D
Maybe if the ID cars get V2H a black market can start up.
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Splitty
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Post by Splitty »

If VW ever fix the charge scheduling software I would plug in every time I get home.

So the short answer for me is no, I don't plug in every day (or switch the charger on all the time)

The long answer...

What I want to do is only charge the car to 80% between the hours of 00:30 and 04:30. Sometimes it can take two nights of charging to get to 80% so I can't just set the car to 80% and forget it (setting a max charge capacity is the only bit of the SW that works reliably). This means I have to use the timer on my wall charger to ensure the car only gets power during those hours. Therefore I can't preheat the car without supplying it power later in the day when it would commence charging again at a higher £/Kwh until it reached 80%.

I just hope that 2.4 or even 3.0 will fix this.
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Post by G43FAN »

I plug in as soon as I park up and get out. Zappi is configured to charge 12 - 4 if it's needed, made it a habit after forgetting to plug in before bed one evening and waking up with 50% charge, it didn't matter on the day but made me realise a splash and dash is no longer an option so 'Be prepared' it's also handy for pre-heating/
Smitten
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Post by Smitten »

My plan will be to aim to stick to what is recommended by VW for the different seasons unless I have a longer journey. In that case, as with current EV I will get the charge up to say 90% on GO cheap rate and then boost the last 10% immediately before leaving and add pre heat at the very end. For shorter journeys I will have enough battery size not to worry.
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MattP
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Post by MattP »

I believe Tesla for example suggest you keep the car plugged in where possible. Not sure why they are different, maybe their software and tech has more going on?
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Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

MattP wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 12:04 pm I believe Tesla for example suggest you keep the car plugged in where possible. Not sure why they are different, maybe their software and tech has more going on?
Isn't it also true that Tesla no longer stipulate that their latest batteries can be charged to 100% whenever you like. i.e. no 80% max.
Deleted User 192

Post by Deleted User 192 »

Scratch wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 6:34 am
scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:29 pm
ItshardtobuyId3 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:53 pm

I don’t see how asking why he asked is helpful…

Well pardon me for asking 🙄🤦‍♂️
Calm down, calm down. I should have been more explicit but I was interested in keeping the topic general.
My main reason for asking opinions, is that I have read that it's a good idea to pre-heat with the car plugged in. So parking up overnight, If I don't plug it in, I have to go all the way out to the garage (that's difficult isn't it!) and plug it in before pre-heating. If my charge level didn't necessarily require a recharge overnight, by plugging it in to pre-heat, it will now begin to charge. Or can you (should you) stop it from charging.
Never had this problem when I went to a petrol station in my ICE. :lol:

I’m calm with you for having asked the original question. [edited]

Pre-heating when plugged in is probably something you would only do if you need 100% capacity when you set off that day, I did it this morning before a long journey.

But i pre-heat on other occasions when not plugged in just to get the windows clear and the cabin comfortable when I’m only doing a short journey, I don’t care what the % is so long as I have enough to go about my day.

There’s no single definitive way of treating a BEV, manage it to match how you will use it.
Last edited by Deleted User 192 on Fri Dec 24, 2021 5:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ItshardtobuyId3
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Post by ItshardtobuyId3 »

scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:29 pm
ItshardtobuyId3 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:53 pm
scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:28 pm For what purpose?

If you might need the range in an emergency or on a daily basis, keep the battery topped up to the level you need.

If you want to pre-heat the cabin without using battery capacity, make that happen while the charger is supplying power.

Otherwise, why?
I don’t see how asking why he asked is helpful…

Well pardon me for asking 🙄🤦‍♂️
Apologies, I broke the gold rule of the internet and posted something after a couple too many glasses of wine.

I misinterpreted your reply to post as suggesting he was being stupid for asking.

Sorry, my bad.
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Deleted User 192

Post by Deleted User 192 »

ItshardtobuyId3 wrote: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:29 am
scott28tt wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:29 pm
ItshardtobuyId3 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 8:53 pm

I don’t see how asking why he asked is helpful…

Well pardon me for asking 🙄🤦‍♂️
Apologies, I broke the gold rule of the internet and posted something after a couple too many glasses of wine.

I misinterpreted your reply to post as suggesting he was being stupid for asking.

Sorry, my bad.

No worries, hope it was a good wine 👍
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