Take charge at the office

Powering up your EV overnight is convenient, but midday plug-ins put less stress on the grid — and your wallet

- JEFF MYERS GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

JUSTIN SULLIVAN Getty Images SUNNY AFTERNOONS are the cheapest and cleanest time to replenish your EV's battery.

WITH MORE THAN 1.9 million electric vehicles registered across its roads, accounting for more than a third of all EVs nationwide, California leads the U.S. in convincing drivers to switch away from internal combustion engines. Yet despite this success, the state is still failing to make the most of this important transition.

The cheapest and cleanest time to charge an EV is when the power grid is flush with solar energy — that is, when the sun is high in the middle of the day. This makes electric cars quite different from conventional gas-powered vehicles, whose pollution levels aren't affected by when a driver pulls into the corner station.

In fact, while switching from gas-powered vehicles to EVs charged overnight can cut emissions by 80%, daytime charging can actually slash emissions a further 80%. But convincing Californians to change habits and fill their batteries midday isn’t easy.