A partnership between General Motors’s electric vehicle subsidiary GM Energy and utility company Reliant will offer free charging for Chevrolet EV drivers in Texas, the companies announced Nov. 13.
The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan will offer a monthly bill credit to Chevrolet EV owners who sign up for the program and charge their vehicles between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The program utilizes 100% renewable energy as Reliant will purchase energy certificates equal to the amount of an EV customer’s electricity usage.
“We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan,” Rasesh Patel, president of Reliant’s parent company NRG Consumer, said in a statement.
In addition to reducing consumers’ energy costs, the program will incentivize nighttime charging to offset electricity demand during peak, daytime charging hours, a priority in Texas as the state works through population growth and increasing demand on its power grid.
The program joins other charging incentives rolled out specifically in Texas. In August, Ford and utility company TXU Energy announced free charging for Texas Ford customers during certain hours. And shortly after the Reliant program was announced, Tesla introduced an unlimited charging promotion for its EV customers in Texas.
The Reliant program is available for Chevrolet EV owners who are Reliant customers. Program participants must use the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal to register a vehicle for the credit and be enrolled in either the 12-month or 36-month plan.
The program is open to new and existing Reliant customers, according to the announcement.
According to the press release, more than 150 Chevrolet dealers across Texas will offer the free nightly charging program to customers upon purchase of an EV.
“The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to build the ecosystem to support the all-electric future,” GM Energy chief revenue officer Aseem Kapur said in the announcement.
