Do EV chargers stop charging when full?

Yes, when charging is complete your EV charger will automatically stop the charging.

OK, let me tell you how.

The way EV charging works, there are two conditions to be met for the charging to happen.

One is EV charger should supply the power and another is Electric Vehicle should accept the power.

When charging completes in your EV, it stops to accept the power. And so energy won’t flow anymore then. As a result the charging will stop. That’s the function of the Battery Management System (BMS) in your EV.

Because in simple terms the electric circuit remains open and so electricity won’t flow to the battery. (Some electric fellow here would understand the importance of open/closed circuit.. : ) )

Now, once electric vehicle stops accepting charging, the EV charger will also stop supplying the power.

But it’s not that simple actually, it has some other advancements with the same fundamentals.

Let’s say your EV is sitting idle and the charger is left plugged in even after the charging is complete.

Now due to vampire drains when the charge level reduces in your battery, it will again accept the power.

When that happens it will draw the electricity. Not for charging but to cope with the drains and EV charger will start to supply the power communicating with the electric vehicle.

If you want to know more about what happens once charging is stopped and the charger is still left plugged in, here you go – I have explained this phenomenon properly in a separate article, you can read it here.

I hope now you are 100% clear about this. Cheers!