Funder: California Energy Commission
Due Dates: November 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Pacific (Applications) | November 13, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Pacific (Submission support and administrative questions) | September 23, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Pacific (Technical questions)
Funding Amounts: $1,000,000–$1,500,000 per project; up to $1,500,000 total; anticipated agreement term April 1, 2027–April 30, 2029
Summary: Supports applied research characterizing non-driving electric vehicle energy consumption and its impacts on customers and the electric grid.
Key Information: Open to public and private entities except local publicly owned electric utilities; one application per applicant.
Description
The California Energy Commission’s Energy Research and Development Division administers this opportunity through the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program. It funds applied research and development to improve understanding of non-driving EV efficiency and inform efficient transportation electrification, customer savings, and grid planning.
Research must collect and analyze empirical data on light-duty EV loads under non-driving conditions. Relevant loads include battery management, cabin temperature control, parked or idling standby power, vehicle-to-everything charging and discharging, and onboard computing. Projects must generate new knowledge rather than duplicate existing research, compare vehicle models and equipment under consistent conditions, and investigate policy mechanisms supporting efficiency. Studying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles alongside light-duty vehicles is encouraged, but not required.
