Duke Energy, General Motors, Ford, and BMW are teaming up to offer flat fee residential EV charging in North Carolina. This pilot program is called the EV Complete Home Charging Plan. The 12-month plan is aimed at bringing certainty to the cost of EV charging. Here’s a look at the basics of the plan.

Open To Qualifying EVs

An invitation will be sent to customers who own or lease a qualifying EV. Enrollment will be in September 2023, with program launch on November 1, 2023. The plan allows residential customers in North Carolina up to 800 kWh per month to charge an EV at home for $19.99 in the Duke Energy Carolinas service area. For those in the Duke Energy Progress service area the cost is $24.99. Duke Energy notes that the average EV customer uses 15 kWh daily, so the plan will offer nearly double the amount per month needed by the average driver.

EV Complete Home Charging Plan is Technology Driven

There’s a whole lot of magic going on behind the scenes with the EV Complete Home Charging Plan. For example, using an application provided by their vehicle’s manufacturer, customers can input the desired state of charge and preferred departure time. The application then creates a charging schedule that optimizes their preferred charging times. Furthermore, it attempts to avoid charging during the grid’s peak hours. As Duke Energy notes, an important component of the company’s strategy to ready the electric grid for the needs of EVs is the ability to encourage EV charging to take place when the grid has available capacity.

Part of the Open Vehicle Grid Integration Platform

The Open Vehicle Grid Integration Platform (OVGIP) is a system that enables management of EV charging from multiple automakers. OVGIP allows Duke Energy to measure EV charging data directly from the vehicles. It’s important to note that each automaker owns and manages its own charging application that communicates through OVGIP.

Up to Three Demand Response Events Per Month

As part of the EV Complete Home Charging Plan pilot, Duke Energy will call up to three demand response events per month to help balance grid demand. Vehicle manufacturers will send notifications to participants. These notifications will be at least 12 hours in advance of the event and include the day and hours to avoid charging. EV owners in the pilot program may opt out of demand response events up to four times.

The Bottom Line

In the end, the biggest draw of the Duke Energy EV Complete Home Charging Plan pilot in North Carolina is the low flat fee charging cost. Combine that with the convenience of home EV charging and it appears to be a win-win.