The nation’s electric grid faces many challenges. Increasing demand, expanding renewable capacity and aging infrastructure, among other things, are making it more difficult for grid managers to maintain steady and reliable distribution of power.

While an expanding electric vehicle market is also considered to be one of the grid’s biggest challenges, research suggests the opposite may be true.

Data analysis from market research firm Pecan Street finds that EVs can be a valuable resource for utilities and system operators. This goes against popular wisdom, which holds that widespread home charging of EV batteries will create another major source of demand that stresses the grid.

In a May 2025 report, the firm notes that its data from 160 homes with EVs over the last 12 years shows that EV charging typically falls into one of three time clusters. More than half of the homes (53%) charge their car batteries overnight. Slightly less than one-fifth (17%) charge up during midday. Almost one-third (30%) charge up in the evening, between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

According to Pecan Street, these stats debunk the myth that most EV owners will charge up in the evening when they get home from work. This concentration of charging at a time of peak demand could put undue stress on the grid.

Instead, the research firm notes that the dispersed clustering of charging time offers opportunities for utilities and system operators. For example, overnight charging is the ideal time for charging an EV. This is the time of lowest demand and lowest prices for customers.

Midday charging can overlap with times of peak demand, which increases stress on the grid. On the other hand, this is the ideal time to utilize excess solar power, which can be beneficial in regions that have a high concentration of solar capacity.

Pecan Street also notes that most of the homes sampled in the data did not receive incentives or other instructions to steer their charging behavior to a particular time of day. This suggests that proper incentives or other demand management programs can capitalize on the already existing patterns to maximize the benefits of EV charging at different times of the day.