[PrivatePilot]

Activating a precondition will draw grid power regardless of any rate/time/location based charging restrictions. It's all completely overridden at that point.

We are in the exact same situation as you, also located in Ontario. My wife leaves every morning around 7:30AM (and the Volt is configured to avoid the 7a-9a peak electricity period for normal charging) but it does indeed draw over 3KW from our grid (as verified on my whole-home wattage display) during precondition.

 

[PrivatePilot]

In my Gen 1, it pulls power from the wall when preconditioning even when the rate is not favorable but once the precondition stops, it will not top up the battery

You know, I hadn't even thought about that part of the equation.

I think I'll adjust my time of use configuration to move the low-rate schedule end ahead an hour to 8AM, despite the fact it actually ends at 7AM - this way when we precondition at 7:15A every morning it'll top off the battery afterwards.