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I've used these timers, from the cheap ones you buy at walmart for your fish tank light, to the commercial ones you use to turn on/off whole parking lots worth of lights. most aren't very accurate at all, and I know they can be used, but once again, most people (once they become more popular, for right now I know most people are going to apply at least some thought to this) aren't going to necessarily go to this trouble to install, then maintain timing accuracy (a bi-weekly necessity on the good ones, every week on lesser models, unless there are some "hidden jewels" I'm unaware of) of a timer. I sure hope the power companies don't obtain rights to drain our cars without permission, this could be a disaster if you go to get in your car, it's only half charged, and you have to drive farther than your charge can take you, and I hope you will be able to actively be able to control when you can strictly charge it if you need it to charge. not to mention this will ACTIVELY kill batteries. I'm not completely ignorant, just stating how I know the majority of americans act, they are mostly intentionally ignorant. look at how many of us on this forum (and in europe, where it's largely illegal) idle our cars when we go into a store, before we leave the house, and other times. not very many, I'm sure. then look at the rest of america, so lazy, they had to invent a device (which I think should be illegal, or be made to have a timer on it's effective duration until you HAVE to just get in and start the car) that makes it easier to ignorantly idle your car, remote start.
I live where it gets cold, and instead of running the car to "warm it up", I just installed airflow management to limit cooling in the winter to improve how long I have to drive in the cold before I get up to operating temperature. I idle it for a couple minutes to get the engine above freezing (measured by an ultragauge), then off I go. but countless people around here idle there cars for a LONG time.
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