On Oct. 20, 2026, the managed-charging company ev.energy announced $11 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) for the second phase of ChargeWise California, its program that schedules home EV charging. Partner funds that the CEC matches bring the Phase 2 budget to $22 million, according to the company's press release. The target is to grow enrollment from about 9,000 drivers in the pilot to 79,000 by the end of 2028.

One caveat before the numbers. The $11 million figure comes from ev.energy. ChargerFeed did not find the CEC's own October 2026 approval record for this phase, so the amount, the timeline and the program terms below are the company's account. The CEC's earlier public record, from 2024, is covered further down.

The Numbers at a Glance

  • CEC funds for Phase 2 (company-reported): $11 million
  • Total Phase 2 budget with partner match (company-reported): $22 million
  • Enrollment: about 9,000 drivers in the pilot as of the Oct. 20, 2026 announcement, with a target of 79,000 by end of 2028. The 79,000 figure is a goal, not a current count.
  • Product development: $1 million, including work on vehicle-to-everything (V2X) charging, according to the release
  • Equity requirement: at least 50% of Phase 2 drivers in disadvantaged communities
  • Pricing-signal requirement: at least 50% of Phase 2 drivers participating through the dynamic pricing signal

Where the Money Goes

According to ev.energy, most of the award is not going to ev.energy itself. The majority is available as match funding to participating utilities, community choice aggregators (CCAs, the local public electricity providers that buy power for customers in much of California) and other partners. The match covers 50% of what those partners spend on user acquisition, incentives and onboarding. Another $1 million is allocated to product development.

In practice, enrollment growth depends on utilities, CCAs and other partners deciding to run and co-fund local programs. The CEC dollars reduce their cost of signing up drivers but do not pay all of it.

What Phase 1 Reported

ChargeWise California's first phase ran with two Bay Area CCAs, MCE and Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Both ev.energy and Electrek, in a June 4, 2025 report, gave the off-peak, midday and roughly $200-a-year savings results below. All of these figures are company-reported pilot outcomes, not independent evaluations:

  • Off-peak charging: up to 98% of charging happened off-peak, compared with the 60–70% that time-of-use (TOU) rates alone typically achieve.
  • Midday shift: up to 30% of charging moved into the middle of the day.
  • Driver savings: ev.energy put savings at $10 to $20 a month, around $200 a year on average, compared with TOU rates alone. Electrek reported an average of $200 a year.
  • Uptake: the press release says more than 1,000 customers enrolled during the first month, with over 50% living in disadvantaged communities. Electrek said more than 1,000 people signed up in two months.

Two points matter when reading these numbers. "Up to" marks the best result, not the average. And the savings are measured against a driver already on a TOU rate, not against a driver with no rate plan or scheduling at all.

The 2024 Award, and an Open Question About the Amount

The CEC's public record for ChargeWise starts at its April 10, 2024 business meeting. There staff brought Item 17, proposed awards under the Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals solicitation (REDWDS, GFO-22-609). According to the CEC staff presentation, the item proposed five projects with $106,695,660 in CEC funds, drawn from the California Budget Act of 2021-22 and the Clean Transportation Program. Other listed awardees included dcbel LLC and Prologis Mobility LLC.

The presentation listed ev.energy Corp.'s agreement as follows:

  • Phase 1: $1,597,084 in CEC funds, with $532,363 in match
  • Possible Phase 2: $39,698,160, with Phase 2 eligibility contingent on Phase 1 performance, funding availability and CEC approval

The $11 million ev.energy announced for Phase 2 is well below the $39.7 million possible Phase 2 award shown in 2024. Neither the company release nor the 2024 presentation explains the gap. Until the CEC posts its own record for the Phase 2 decision, it is unclear whether $11 million is the full Phase 2 award, one tranche of it, or a restructured amount. ChargerFeed will update this story if that record becomes available.

What "Dynamic Signal" Means Here

The solicitation's name points to the policy goal. A standard TOU rate gives drivers fixed peak and off-peak windows. According to ev.energy, ChargeWise instead builds daily charging schedules from day-ahead California grid operator (CAISO) signals on supply, demand and price, under customers' existing rate structures, so charging can move to when power is cheaper, including midday when solar is abundant. Phase 2 requires at least half of enrolled drivers to participate through the dynamic pricing signal, according to the company. Midday shifting is something a fixed TOU schedule would not necessarily do on its own.

ev.energy describes the program as an EV virtual power plant (VPP): many enrolled cars managed together as a flexible load. The release includes comments from MCE and Clean Power Alliance, and says Phase 2 will also support incentives through Clean Power Alliance's EV SmartCharge program. It also says EV drivers in California can now register interest in ChargeWise.

What It Means for Drivers

Based on what the sources say, here is what changes and when:

  • This is about home charging, not public stations. ChargeWise schedules when an enrolled driver's car charges. It does not add or change any public charging locations.
  • Who can join depends on your electricity provider. Most of the Phase 2 money is available to utilities, CCAs and other partners as match funding. Whether you can enroll depends on whether your provider takes part. Phase 1 ran through MCE and Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Check with your own utility or CCA for any Phase 2 offer.
  • Timing is gradual. The 79,000-driver target runs through the end of 2028. As of the Oct. 20, 2026 announcement, about 9,000 drivers were enrolled.
  • Drivers in disadvantaged communities are a priority. At least half of Phase 2 enrollees must live in disadvantaged communities, according to ev.energy.
  • Expect a different charging pattern. At least half of Phase 2 drivers will participate through the dynamic pricing signal, which can move charging into midday hours as well as overnight.
  • Savings figures come from the company. Phase 1 savings were $10 to $20 a month, around $200 a year, by ev.energy's figures, and Electrek reported $200 a year on average, both measured against TOU rates alone (2025–2026 reporting). What you actually save depends on your rate plan, how much you drive and your provider's program terms.

The program is software-based scheduling. If enrolling leads you to consider new home charging equipment or electrical changes, use a licensed electrician and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

What to Watch

Three things are still open: the CEC's own record of the Phase 2 decision and amount, which utilities and CCAs sign on to co-fund enrollment, and whether Phase 2 results hold up at roughly nine times the pilot's size.

Sources