California EV charging pilot revolutionizes when and how we plug in, saving drivers hundreds

In a bid to ease the anguish around running costs, this California EV charging pilot has revolutionized the game, saving electric vehicle drivers hundreds of dollars.

Charging EVs isn’t quite as cheap as we were led to believe.

Especially if you have the same habits as everyone else, topping up during peak times in busy locations without a home charger.

But this California EV charging pilot is mixing things up to try and save the State from unnecessary overspending.

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California is leading the charge in EV infrastructure, with the number of charging stations now outnumbering gas pumps statewide.

But public charging costs in Cali – and the rest of the world, for that matter – still remains extraordinarily high, especially on Superchargers.

Quicker charging times doesn’t always mean cheaper.

Now, though, ChargeWise California is coming in hot with a new initiative that has already been tested to save electric vehicle owners hundreds of dollars year-on-year.

And it all stems from changing your habits.

In a study put into place by ev.energy, partnered by the California Energy Commission’s REDWDS initiative, a year-long pilot found that owners can save roughly $200 a year by charging smarter.

The pilot focuses on changing drivers’ habits and charging when energy is cheapest, plugging in at off-peak hours, taking advantage of solar rays, and avoiding clogged grids.

The scheme encouraged 98 percent of participants to charge at times like midday, which saw a massive drop in annual spending.

Researchers at ev.energy claim that changing all of your plug-in habits, such as phone and utilities, in this manner could help you save up to $1,000 a year.

CEO Monica Padilla said:

“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.”

One participant in the California EV charging pilot said that the scheme made tracking his expenditure ‘simple’ and that monthly savings were evident.

Of course, this isn’t possible for every electric vehicle owner, as not everyone has access to the equipment during work hours and defaults to using those high-traffic hours, such as late evenings.

But it does go to show that there are ways of keeping costs down, whether that be by using home kits, taking advantage of off-peak times, or staying within the 20-80 percent battery range when KW/H rates are highest.

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