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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