Con Edison and FleetCarma, a company that specializes in electric vehicle (EV) technology solutions, are seeking participants for a program called SmartCharge New York that will pay EV owners to charge their vehicles at times when demand for power is not highest.
“We expect the number of electric vehicles to increase the next few years as drivers realize the economic and environmental benefits,” says Matthew Ketschke, Con Edison’s vice president of distributed resource integration. “We see EVs as another technology that is helping us build a cleaner, more efficient energy future in which customers have access to the choices they want.”
According to the companies, participants in the program will get valuable information, including access to FleetCarma’s online portal where they can get data on their driving energy efficiency, carbon footprint, battery health and more. They’ll also be able to track rewards earned and share and compare experiences with an online community of EV drivers.
As reported, the program is open to all EV owners, both residential and fleet, that charge in the Con Edison service territory. Participants are not required to be a Con Edison customer, and they can enroll more than one vehicle in the program.
EV owners will earn $50 in SmartCharge Rewards just for enrolling in the program and then will receive $5 in rewards in each month that they charge in the Con Edison service territory.
Notably, an EV owner will earn 5 cents in rewards for each kilowatt hour of charging during off-peak hours, which are from midnight to 8 a.m. From June to September, an EV owner may earn an additional $20 a month for not charging between 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.
SmartCharge Rewards can be redeemed for an assortment of e-gift cards, digital pre-paid cards and nonprofit donations.
According to the companies, the timing of the program coincides with a New York state incentive, the Drive Clean Rebate, which offers a discount of up to $2,000 for those who buy a qualifying EV from a dealership registered with the state. In addition, the federal government offers a tax credit of up to $7,500.