Let’s say that you come home from work after a long day, and you put your EV on the charger to give it some juice; however, life happens, and you forget to unplug it the next day. You may worry that it will ruin your battery since you likely have heard that it’s not good to leave chargers plugged in for too long. The good news is that modern EV chargers contain sophisticated smart technology that ceases the charging process. This prevents over charging so that your battery doesn’t degrade. So, in many cases, forgetting to unplug your EV will not cause immediate harm; however, you should be mindful of what can happen over time.

A Little Bit of Idle Draw

Even though the charging process ceases, the charger will still draw some power. It’s similar to when you leave an appliance plugged into the wall though you are not using it. While you won’t see a dramatic jump in your energy bill if you leave the charger plugged in once in a while, energy costs will increase if you forget too often.

Wear and Tear Over Time

While forgetting to unplug occasionally isn’t a big deal, consistently leaving the charger connected to your car for extended periods after it’s fully charged can put some wear and tear on your car as well as on the battery. The cable and the charging port will be subject to unnecessary tension and movement. Sure, it won’t cause a catastrophic failure; however, this unnecessary stress on these components can degrade your charging equipment over time.

The Charger Can Be Exposed to the Elements

If your EV charger is located outdoors, constantly leaving it plugged in will expose it unnecessarily to the elements. While modern chargers are built to be weather resistant, prolonged exposure can shorten its lifespan.

A Good Habit to Form

To ensure that your EV and its charger lasts, you want to form good charging habits. For example, if you find that you forget to unplug your vehicle on a regular basis, you may want to set a reminder on your phone or smart speaker.

In addition to good charging habits, annual maintenance will also help to keep your charging equipment in top shape. When you work with a professional, they can spot problems that are lurking beneath the surface and collaborate with you to craft a plan for mitigating them to prevent a full-blown disaster. If you need EV charger services, call We Care Heating & Air Conditioning in Central GA and the FL Panhandle without delay.