# Charge Your Tesla Automatically on Off-Peak Rates

> Hit the charge level you need, by the time you need it, on the cheapest rates — from a plain-English request to your AI assistant.

Charging at the wrong time of day is one of the quietest ways to overpay for an
EV. Most utilities charge far less overnight, and most Teslas sit plugged in
for hours doing nothing. mytesla.io lets your AI assistant handle the timing for
you — hit the charge level you need, by the time you need it, on the cheapest
rates — from a plain-English request.

## Why "just plug it in" isn't enough

Tesla has scheduled charging built in, and it works. But it's still a schedule
*you* maintain:

- You have to know and enter your off-peak window.
- "Be ready by 7 AM Saturday" is a manual calculation every time your plans
  change.
- A fixed nightly charge doesn't adapt to "I'm driving to my parents' this
  weekend and need 100%."
- Preconditioning the battery for departure is a separate setting to remember.

An assistant can take the goal and work backward from it.

## How mytesla.io does it

mytesla.io is an [AI assistant for your Tesla](/tesla-ai-assistant) — it exposes
Tesla's charging commands as tools your AI can call. So you can ask for the
result and let it plan:

- **"Charge to 100% by 7 AM Saturday, off-peak rates only."** The assistant
  sets a scheduled departure and charge limit so the car is full on time,
  drawing power in your cheap window.
- **"Keep it at 80% on weekdays, but top to 90% the night before a road
  trip."** Different targets, decided by context.
- **"Only charge between midnight and 6 AM."** Set a scheduled-charging window
  in one sentence.
- **"Precondition the battery so it's ready to drive at 7:30, and charge during
  off-peak first."** Charging and departure prep in a single request.

## The commands behind it

Your assistant chooses from real Fleet API tools: `start_charging`,
`stop_charging`, `set_charge_limit`, `set_scheduled_charging`,
`set_scheduled_departure`, `set_charging_amps`, `open_charge_port`, and
`close_charge_port` — every one a signed request through Tesla's official Fleet
API, the same path the Tesla app uses.

## How much can off-peak charging save?

It depends entirely on your utility, but time-of-use plans commonly make
overnight power a fraction of peak-rate power. If your Tesla is your daily
driver, shifting a full charge into the off-peak window night after night adds
up over a year. mytesla.io doesn't change your rate — it makes sure you're
consistently charging *in* the cheap window without having to think about it.

> mytesla.io can schedule charging and departure. It can't see your utility's
> live pricing unless your assistant has a data source for that — for
> straightforward off-peak windows, tell it your hours and it'll stay inside
> them.

## What you need

- A Tesla that supports the Fleet API (roughly 2018+ Model S/3/X/Y).
- A home charging setup (this is about *when* you charge, not where).
- A mytesla.io subscription — from $4.99/month.
- An AI assistant with connector/MCP support
  ([Claude](/control-tesla-with-claude), [ChatGPT](/control-tesla-with-chatgpt),
  Cursor, …).

## FAQ

**Can it make sure the car is charged by a specific time?**
Yes — that's what scheduled departure is for. Ask for "100% by 7 AM" and the
assistant sets the target and timing.

**Does mytesla.io know my electricity rates?**
Not on its own. Tell it your off-peak window (e.g. "midnight to 6 AM") and it
will keep charging inside it. If your assistant has a pricing data source, it
can use that too.

**Can it precondition the battery for departure, not just the cabin?**
Yes — scheduled departure can prep the battery. For cabin comfort timing, see
[precondition your Tesla from your calendar](/precondition-tesla-from-calendar).

**Is off-peak charging better for the battery?**
The main benefit is cost. Charging habits like a sensible daily limit (often
~80%) matter more for longevity — and you can ask the assistant to hold that
limit automatically.

## Next steps

- [The AI assistant for your Tesla](/tesla-ai-assistant)
- [Precondition your Tesla automatically](/precondition-tesla-from-calendar)
- [25+ things you can do with Tesla + AI](/tesla-ai-use-cases)
- [Get started at mytesla.io →](https://mcp.mytesla.io/signup?src=guide-charging&plan=driver)