North Carolina now has the second-highest number of EVs per capita in the country, trailing only New Hampshire

RALEIGH, N.C. and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — WeaveGrid, a grid-edge orchestration software provider for electric utilities, today announced EVConnectNC, a new managed charging program developed in partnership with North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. The program gives members of enrolled cooperatives a way to earn incentives for charging their electric vehicles during off-peak hours, while helping cooperatives manage a rapidly growing source of electricity demand.

Electric vehicle registrations in North Carolina climbed 570 percent between May 2021 and May 2026, according to data from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The state now counts 581 EVs per 10,000 residents, a rate second only to New Hampshire nationally. That growth is arriving at electric cooperatives that serve a large share of the state’s rural and suburban communities, where unmanaged charging can add new demand to local infrastructure.

EVConnectNC uses connected vehicle and charger data to help cooperatives understand charging patterns and encourage members to shift charging into lower-cost periods. The program is already live with two North Carolina cooperatives, Roanoke Electric Cooperative and South River EMC with members enrolled and incentives being paid out today.

Member Benefits for Enrolled EVs:

• Members can earn up to $120 a year by charging at least 90% off-peak and using a minimum of 200 kWh per month
• Eligible vehicles include Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Jeep, Lexus, Tesla, and Toyota
• Members with ChargePoint, Emporia, or Wallbox home chargers are also eligible and do not require a purchase of new charging equipment
• Drivers retain full control of their vehicle and can charge whenever they need to, though charging outside the off-peak window may affect that month’s incentive.
• Gain access to charging insights and usage analytics through the program.

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives and its member utilities run the program, with WeaveGrid providing the underlying software platform. Because EV chargers and vehicles typically remain plugged in far longer than needed to reach a full charge, shifting that load to off-peak hours has little impact on the driver’s routine while helping manage costs for the broader membership.

“As member-owned, not-for-profit utilities, electric cooperatives have a long history of embracing innovative solutions that deliver value to our members,” said Nikki Lynberg, Manager of Innovation and Business Development for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “This program gives EV-driving members a simple way to save on charging costs while helping cooperatives manage energy use more efficiently, supporting affordability and reliability for all members.”

“Cooperatives serve some of the fastest-growing EV markets in the country, representing more than 40 million Americans, a significant, largely untapped opportunity for managed charging programs going forward,” said Apoorv Bhargava, CEO and Co-Founder at WeaveGrid. “Working with North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives shows that managed charging isn’t just a tool for large investor-owned utilities. It’s a practical, member-first way for cooperatives to meet growing demand without passing new costs on to the people they serve.”

EVConnectNC also gives enrolled cooperatives ongoing visibility into how EV charging affects their systems, information they can use to manage grid impacts, control costs, and plan for future demand. The program supports the cooperatives’ Brighter Future Vision by advancing new energy solutions, improving reliability, and building long-term value for members and their communities.

About WeaveGrid

WeaveGrid is the grid orchestration software that enables utilities to serve growing load reliably and affordably by aligning electric demand with grid capacity from the bottom up. Through Distribution-Integrated System Capacity Orchestration (DISCO), WeaveGrid provides asset-level visibility and device-level control, optimizing EVs, batteries, and other flexible loads exactly where constraints hit, from transformers to the bulk system. Learn more at weavegrid.com.

About North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives includes the family of organizations formed to support the state’s 26 community-based electric cooperatives, which collectively serve more than 2.8 million North Carolinians. These organizations are North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, a generation and transmission cooperative; North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, the cooperatives’ trade association; and Tarheel Electric Membership Association, Inc., a central purchasing and materials-supply cooperative. Visit our website: ncelectriccooperatives.com

Media Contacts

Alanna Williams                                   Katie Lebrato
Head of Marketing                              Director of Communications
WeaveGrid                                           North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives
alanna.williams@weavegrid.com        katie.lebrato@ncemcs.com

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SOURCE WeaveGrid