From the outside, it looks like an inviting residential home complete with potted plants and front porch rocking chairs. But visitors who step inside Duke Energy’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Garage discover a setup designed to not only delight but also to better explain why the future of four wheels is electric.
First launched in 2021, the EV Garage is an experiential marketing asset that encourages face-to-face interaction between customers and Duke Energy representatives — an idea meant to foster education about what the company is doing to further electric transportation, while also helping demystify electrification. Duke Energy originally sought an interactive way to engage with customers in person around EVs and had considered a tradeshow-style setup. Ultimately, the company opted for something that was easy to transport and created an experience with a flow of information and helpful content.
“Utilities are central to the development and expansion of electric transportation growth. Even as we prepare the grid for a future with more EVs, it’s important to make sure our customers have opportunities to go electric if that fits their lifestyle,” says Meghan Dewey, vice president of products and services for Duke Energy. “Addressing primary barriers to adoption like cost and home charging are important. And sometimes it’s just helpful to get in front of customers to have an open and honest conversation, reduce confusion and share more about the options they have.
Designed as a walk-through interactive experience that unfolds from a 20x40 foot trailer, the EV Garage mimics a typical residential home on the outside and a home garage on the interior. Inside, several types of EV chargers help visitors better understand home charging, sparking conversation with Duke Energy team members about the company’s EV programs. A digital EV savings calculator, EV selector tool and a charging map offer a vision for how an electric vehicle can fit a variety of lifestyles.
A Positively Charged Experience
The EV Garage is mobile and frequently goes on the road — it attaches to the back of a truck to move from place to place. It has been to events across the company’s service area, including in North and South Carolina, Florida and Indiana.
It has visited venues ranging from home and garden shows and auto shows, to outdoor festivals and music events, to golf tournaments and more. These locations tend to attract visitors who are generally more relaxed and focused on enjoying the day and often attract Duke Energy customers who are likely to or interested in purchasing an EV or are decision makers in the home.
Part of the draw of the EV Garage is the laid-back, engaging nature of its setup. Adirondack chairs and a photo op that are set up on an event-by-event basis beckon passersby, while miniature golf games, a prize wheel and cornhole further immerse visitors in a fun and memorable experience. At various stops where feasible, the company may work with event coordinators or auto manufacturers to park an EV onsite.
Duke Energy has seen some of its best EV Garage engagement at the annual Charlotte Auto Show, an annual showcase of new cars by a span of auto manufacturers. The company debuted the EV Garage at the event several years ago — 2024 marked the EV Garage’s fourth year in attendance — and has seen increased interest there as customers continue to explore EVs and seek information about how charging works.
EV Programs in the Fast Lane
As more drivers are switching to electric cars, Duke Energy has worked to support the states it serves – and where its customers live and drive – as they plan for more EVs on the road. In North Carolina, where the company is headquartered, Executive Order No. 246 addressed the state’s commitment to climate change and a cleaner energy economy and set a goal of 1.25 million registered EVs in the state and 50% of all vehicle sales being zero-emission by 2030.
Duke Energy has worked to support the deployment of EVs across its states by developing a comprehensive suite of EV customer programs that offer incentives and rebates while also promoting managed charging programs to help the utility manage the need for electricity throughout the day.
Duke Energy has forecasted energy consumption to grow at an average annual rate of nearly 2% over the next 26 years, with about 35% of that growth coming from greater EV adoption. That means by 2050, energy use could be about 50% greater than what it is today.
Duke Energy takes a customer-focused approach to serve customers’ individual needs and lifestyles through its offerings, providing a menu of options and a seamless experience for customers from the grid to their garage. Programs facilitate education and advisory programs for customers interested in going electric and offering incentives for the purchase of EVs. The company continues to file for regulatory approval of similar suites of programs across all its jurisdictions.
One of the company’s most successful initiatives to date is its off-peak charging pilot program in Florida, which gives enrolled customers a credit for charging their EV during off-peak times with a Level 2 charger. The pilot met its goal of 2,000 participants in 2023 and is on track to reach its program allotment of 3,000 active customers prior to the end of 2024, with more than 1,300 customers on a waitlist. The off-peak charging program will launch as a full program without capacity limits in early 2025 in Florida.
In North Carolina, the company’s Charger Prep Credit program has also proven highly successful, providing incentives to customers to upgrade the existing electrical infrastructure in their garage to prepare for an EV charger. The program, which has served more than 12,000 North Carolinians since launch in 2022, has also launched in South Carolina and is approved in Florida, launching in 2025.
High-Powered Findings
According to Duke Energy, in 2023 the EV Garage saw nearly 300,000 impressions and had more than 16,000 engagements with customers who visited the setup. Duke Energy also collects email addresses through a survey as customers complete their EV Garage experience, offering a chance to win premium prizes. Results from the survey have shown that that attendees leave the EV Garage experience feeling more knowledgeable, excited about and having a much higher interest in EVs – and a more favorable view of the company.
When interacting with customers at the EV Garage, the Duke Energy team often starts with basic electrification information. Customers are also frequently surprised to learn that many EV drivers only use a public charger for travel, and that charging an EV at home typically will not increase a residential electric bill by more than $50 a month for an average driver. Visitors also show interest around the fact that additional equipment such as a Level 2 charger isn’t required – the car can be plugged into a regular wall outlet at home.
“The EV Garage has been a great investment for us,” says Dewey. “When customers walk away with a smile on their face, saying they learned something new and had fun, you know you’ve built something valuable.”
