Don't forget the ev when social distancing!

I hope everyone is doing well in your new social distancing/work from home routines! Although these restrictions may seem burdensome, they are in the best interest of everyone so please do observe all hygiene and social distancing guidelines.

While doing that, however, don't forget about your EV! I recently wrote about the importance of the standard 12V battery and ensuring that it is replaced before it fails, but this public service announcement is to not forget to charge your EV while it is parked. All EVs typically discharge the traction battery slowly over time to keep electronics running, topping up the 12V, battery heating if it's cold, etc. Tesla EVs use battery power to keep the internet connection and computer running and possibly the Sentry security cameras. Other EVs with connectivity features will behave similarly.

This is a reminder to keep an eye on your EV if you're not driving and plug it in occasionally. I wouldn't recommend keeping it plugged in at a high state of charge, but if you can set the maximum charge to a reasonable number (60-70%) then you could leave it plugged in and let it top up as needed. On most newer EVs, the owner can generally set the maximum charge percentage. Refer to your owner's manual for recommendations on extended parking.