Essex Powerlines customers in Tecumseh can now join a free program that pays them to let artificial intelligence decide when their electric vehicle charges at home. The utility announced the launch of EV Everywhere on July 21, 2026, in partnership with Ottawa-based AI firm BluWave-ai and three other Ontario utilities.
Participants earn BluPoints through a smartphone app by allowing the system to automatically shift their EV charging to times when power demand is low or more renewable energy is available. The points can be redeemed for gift cards and tree-planting credits through a partnership with Evertreen.
Essex Powerlines, which is wholly owned by four municipalities — Amherstburg, LaSalle, Leamington, and Tecumseh — says the program helps reduce strain on the local electricity grid without costly upgrades. John Avdoulos, president and CEO of Essex Power, said the project lets the utility use residential EV loads as an active resource.
BluWave-ai says its platform has already cut peak EV charging loads by an average of 21.7 per cent in tests, with a high level of user acceptance. Only about four per cent of participants have opted out of scheduled charging events, according to the company.
Ontario had about 300,000 EVs on its roads as of this year, and that number is expected to climb to 500,000 by 2029. The province could see 11.5 million EVs by 2050, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator, which would require significant grid upgrades without solutions like smart charging.
Tecumseh residents with an electric vehicle can sign up through the EV Everywhere app. The program is free and works with most EV models.
