Charge Ahead
Charge Ahead gives Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) customers who own electric vehicles (EV) the unique opportunity to test new managed charging technology. Plus, eligible customers could earn rewards while charging at home during off-peak times!
Download the ev.energy mobile app and enroll using the referral code “MGECHARGE”
Charge Ahead uses a free mobile app powered by ev.energy to connect to your EV or home charger to the program. All you have to do is create an account. Enroll in Charge Ahead today!
Your connected EV or home charger’s telematics tracks your charging in real time, to determine when you are charging your EV during off-peak periods to earn your incentives.
Your EV will always be charged by your customized schedule. The app measures battery state of charge, charge speed and kWh required to ensure your EV is charged by your “ready by” time each day.
Your charging history is displayed on your personalized Dashboard and Stats screens in the Charge Ahead app, powered by ev.energy, including estimated charging costs.
Join Madison Gas and Electric EV drivers in the Charge Ahead program.
How Do I Earn Cash for Charging?
Spring-Summer Off-peak Charging
Fall-Winter Off-Peak Charging
MGE will not initiate charging during peak times. You can expect to see savings on your monthly energy bill by charging during off-peak periods.
Join your fellow EV drivers in the Charge Ahead program
If you need Charge Ahead support please refer to the FAQ or contact us by email at mgecharge@ev.energy
MGE residential electric customers who own or lease an EV and charge at home. A list of eligible electric vehicles and compatible chargers is below:
Supported Chargers
Audi
BMW
Chevrolet
Tesla
*Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV models prior to 2023 must have completed the recall service in order to be eligible.
Yes, apartment and condo residents are eligible to participate if you have a dedicated charging stall.
MGE uses a platform called ev.energy that allows us to connect to your vehicle and obtain your charging preferences (ready-by time) to optimize charging through the telematic system in your vehicle. MGE will primarily shift eligible customers charging to times when the grid is less busy (off-peak) but may control vehicle charging during periods of high demand, high energy cost, when renewables are available and/or for testing purposes.
Off-peak is the time of day when energy use on our community grid is low. MGE's off-peak hours are weekdays from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. as well as weekends and holidays.
Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV models prior to 2023 must have completed the recall service in order to be eligible. For more information on the Bolt and Bolt EUV recalls, see the link here: experience.gm.com/recalls/bolt-ev.
In the ev.energy app, you enter the time you need your vehicle charged and ready to go. You also can press the Boost button to override managed charging and begin charging immediately.
If you are on MGE's standard rate and shift at least 80% of your monthly charging to off-peak hours, you will receive a monthly reward for participating in Charge Ahead. Rewards will be paid quarterly at a rate of $8 per month for June through August and $4 per month for September through May. These rewards will be paid out on a quarterly basis via Paypal or Venmo. You will be able to enter your Paypal or Venmo information through the ev.energy app.
If you are enrolled in our Shift & Save (time-of-use) rate, you can expect to see savings on your monthly energy bill by charging during off-peak periods
Once you download the ev.energy app, we'll ask you to connect using your EV account (BMW ConnectedDrive, Tesla, Audi Connect, Chevrolet OnStar, FordPass) username and password.
ev.energy will not see or store your EV account username and password. When you enter your username and password into the ev.energy app, ev.energy instantly exchanges them for a secure token that allows us to access your account and optimize your charging. Check out ev.energy's privacy policy.
The following vehicle data will be shared with MGE and ev.energy:
- Battery level
- State of charge
- Charging history including kilowatt-hours (kWh) delivered per half hour
- GPS coordinates for charging locations
The ev.energy app will measure battery capacity and charging power to estimate kWh required to ensure your vehicle is fully charged by the time you entered.
No. MGE will manage charging only when your vehicle is plugged in at the address provided in the ev.energy app.
Feel free to review the Charge Ahead Participation Agreement here https://mge.ev.energy/participation-agreement.
