# North American EV charging technology and utility management

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/north-american-ev-charging-technology-and-utility-management
> Updated: 2026-09-02T09:20:57.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 3.

The electric vehicle (EV) charging landscape in North America is seeing developments in both hardware technology and utility rate management.

Schneider Electric has introduced the Schneider Charge, a 48-ampere Level 2 home charging wallbox for the United States and Canada. The device uses SmartAmp technology to monitor real-time household electricity consumption, automatically adjusting power delivery to avoid the need for expensive electrical panel upgrades.

This hardware features integrated dynamic load balancing. Unlike some competitors that require additional hardware to manage electrical loads, the Schneider Charge includes a pair of current transformer (CT) clamps. This allows the device to monitor household power usage in real time and adjust the current sent to the vehicle to ensure total consumption does not exceed the capacity of the main electrical panel. The charger delivers up to 11.5 kW of power and is available with either NACS or J1772 connectors.

In California, utilities are implementing new rate structures to manage grid load. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has introduced a residential plan with a significant price gap between super-off-peak and on-peak hours to encourage charging during periods of surplus solar generation. Meanwhile, commercial utilities are addressing demand charges, with Southern California Edison implementing energy-only commercial EV rates without demand charges through the end of 2029.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-02: Schneider Electric launches smart EV charger with integrated load balancing

Schneider Electric launched the Schneider Charge in the US and Canada, a smart Level 2 EV charger featuring built-in dynamic load balancing hardware to compete with Tesla.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/schneider-electric-launches-smart-ev-charger-with-integrated-load-balancing

### 2026-08-26: California utilities implement new EV charging rate structures

California utilities are adopting new rate structures, including a sixfold price gap for residential EV charging at SDG&E, to manage grid strain and mitigate high demand charges for fast-charging stations.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/california-utilities-implement-new-ev-charging-rate-structures

### 2026-08-26: Schneider Electric launches smart EV charger in North America

Schneider Electric launched the Schneider Charge in the US and Canada, a smart 48-ampere wallbox that adjusts EV charging speeds in real time to prevent electrical panel overloads.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/schneider-electric-launches-smart-ev-charger-in-north-america

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Cite as: North American EV charging technology and utility management. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/north-american-ev-charging-technology-and-utility-management