How to charge a Tesla during the cheapest hours.

Electricity prices can move significantly between hours, but the cheapest hour alone is not a complete charging strategy. The car must still have enough energy when it is needed, and the final household price may include more than the wholesale market component.

1. Set the departure deadline

Decide when the car must be ready. This defines the usable charging window and prevents an optimisation from delaying too much energy.

2. Set the battery target

Choose the state of charge required for the next day. The required energy and charging speed determine how many hours are needed.

3. Use the correct price area and tariff

Nord Pool has multiple bidding zones. Use the zone for the charging location and include the rest of the tariff such as retailer margin, tax, VAT and any time-varying distribution charge.

4. Estimate the savings realistically

Illustrative example: if home charging is 250 kWh per month and optimisation improves the effective price by 4 c/kWh, annual savings are about €120. At 350 kWh per month and 6 c/kWh, the saving is about €252 per year. Higher usage or larger price spreads can increase the benefit.

5. Automate within safe limits

Allow software to choose the cheapest suitable hours while preserving minimum battery limits, manual overrides and the departure deadline.

6. Remember the non-price benefit

Even when the euro saving is moderate, the automation value can still be high because the driver does not need to check a spot-price app every evening.