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An EV charging pilot in California is flipping the script on how and when we plug in, and it could save drivers hundreds while making the grid cleaner and more stable.

The program, called ChargeWise California, is led by EV charging software company ev.energy and funded by the California Energy Commission’s REDWDS initiative. It ran in partnership with two local community energy providers: MCE and Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE).

Early results are in, and they show that when EVs are charged based on hourly price signals and grid conditions, not just static Time-of-Use (TOU) rates, everyone wins. EV drivers saved an average of $200 a year compared to TOU rates alone. More importantly, this kind of smart charging pushed up to 98% of EV charging to off-peak hours, compared to the 60-70% typically seen with TOU-only rates and 90% when TOU is paired with traditional managed charging.

Here’s how the pilot worked: ChargeWise California used dynamic pricing to encourage drivers to charge when energy is cheapest and cleanest, like during the day when solar is abundant. That helped shift as much as 30% of charging to midday, cut down on electricity costs, and avoided strain on the grid during evening peaks. It also helped avoid the so-called “timer peaks” that happen when everyone plugs in at the same time.

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This approach didn’t just help EV drivers. Because flexible charging reduces overall system strain, it benefits all utility customers, even those without EVs. ev.energy estimates that smart, grid-aligned charging could deliver over $1,000 in system-wide value per EV per year.

To keep things fair, the pilot used a submetering method that only applied dynamic pricing to EV charging – not the whole house. That meant customers without solar panels or batteries weren’t penalized for being unable to shift their entire home’s energy use. More than 1,000 people signed up in just two months, and over half were from disadvantaged communities.

And when dynamic pricing is paired with clear communication and automation, participation gets easier, savings increase, and the grid gets more flexible.

“Enrolling in MCE Sync was incredibly easy, and it has made managing my EV charging so simple,” said MCE customer Franco Maynetto. “I love being able to track my energy consumption and see how much I’m saving each month.”

Nick Woolley, CEO and co-founder of ev.energy, says the key to making managed charging work is to build solutions that are dynamic, equitable, and easy to use. “We need an approach that targets flexible loads, is built through collaboration, and ensures everyone benefits—especially underserved communities,” he said.

SVCE CEO Monica Padilla echoed that. “Helping our customers charge off-peak to lower their bills and align their charging with when energy is cleanest is not just valuable for our community, but for the broader California energy ecosystem,” she said.

MCE’s Alice Havenar-Daughton added that the ability to experiment with rate structures through partnerships is key: “Combining targeted dynamic pricing with managed charging can significantly shift peak load and reduce costs, especially for underserved communities.”

In phase 2 of ChargeWise California, ev.energy will partner with utilities to “tap into the full value” of flexible charging.

Read more: With a $30M raise, SparkCharge takes EV fleet charging off-grid


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Troubling times for Tesla, Nissan, and Dodge – plus some fun yellow stuff!

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Troubling times for Tesla, Nissan, and Dodge – plus some fun yellow stuff!

Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!

We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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OpenAI says Robinhood’s tokens aren’t equity in the company

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OpenAI says Robinhood's tokens aren't equity in the company

Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty Images

OpenAI is distancing itself from Robinhood‘s latest crypto push after the trading platform began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe.

“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”

The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”

Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.

“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.

Read more CNBC tech news

Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.

“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”

The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain

U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.

Robinhood hits record high as OpenAI, SpaceX go on-chain

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BYD launches new discounts, offering +50% off smart driving tech

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BYD launches new discounts, offering +50% off smart driving tech

Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.

BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech

After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”

Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.

BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).

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It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.

The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).

BYD-new-discounts
BYD Fang Cheng Bao 5 SUV testing (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).

Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.

BYD-Tai-3-electric-SUV
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Tai 3 electric SUV (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.

BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.

The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.

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