Buyer's guide

How to charge your EV off-peak with a portable charger

You don't need a smart wall charger to charge in the cheap hours. Your car already has the timer.

The short answer

Plug the portable charger in when you get home and set a charging schedule in the car (most EVs have one in the charging menu or app) to start when your off-peak rate begins. The charger simply supplies power when the car asks for it. Moving charging from a 35c peak rate to a 10c overnight rate cuts the cost per 100 km from about $6.22 to $1.78.

  • The car is the timer: set 'scheduled charging' or 'charge start time' in the car.
  • Check your plan's hours on your bill or retailer's app.
  • Make sure it finishes: at 13 km per hour on 10 A, a 6-hour window adds about 78 km.
  • Just plug in: the SEVR 10A portable charger works with any car's schedule.
Set it up

Scheduling in five steps

  1. Find your cheap hours on your electricity plan (for example 11 pm–7 am, or 10 am–3 pm on solar-soak plans).
  2. Open your car's charging settings or app and find scheduled charging, departure time or charge start time.
  3. Set the start time to the start of the cheap window, and a charge limit if you use one.
  4. Plug in when you get home. The car waits, then starts on time.
  5. Check the next morning the first time, in the app, that it charged when expected.
Will it finish in time?

Range added in an off-peak window

Off-peak windowOn 10AOn 15A
4 hours~52 km~78 km
6 hours~78 km~116 km
8 hours~103 km~155 km
10 hours~129 km~194 km
Worked numbers use the same assumptions as our range calculator: 230 V, 90% charging efficiency and 16 kWh per 100 km. Cold weather, your car's onboard charger and driving style change real results.
Our pick

Chargers we recommend

No install needed

SEVR EV Portable Charger (10A)

Type 210 A max2.3 kW~13 km/h4.5 mIP66

Plug in and let the car's schedule do the rest.

$183.99Lowest price in Australia · free shipping · 3-year warranty
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Questions

Frequently asked

Can a portable EV charger be set to charge off-peak?

The charger doesn't need to be. Set the schedule in your car; the portable charger supplies power whenever the car starts charging.

What time is off-peak electricity in Australia?

It depends on your retailer and plan. Overnight off-peak is often around 10 pm–7 am; solar-soak plans have cheap hours in the middle of the day. Check your bill.

Do I need a smart charger to save money?

No. Almost every EV has built-in charge scheduling. Smart chargers add features like solar tracking and load management.

What if my car doesn't have scheduled charging?

Use a timer feature in your car's app if it has one, or plug in at the start of the off-peak window. Don't add a plug-in timer between the charger and the wall; plug straight in.

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