Berger Chevrolet turned EV charging into a managed asset
With EVready Simplify, Berger Chevrolet stopped treating EV charging as a cost center and started running it as a profit-aware operation — with the strategy, software, and management to back it up.
The challenge
Like most dealerships, Berger Chevrolet faced rising EV charging demand from OEM mandates and customer expectations — but charging brings hidden costs. Demand charges, the wrong utility tariff, and unmanaged peak load can quietly turn chargers into a monthly liability. Berger needed more than hardware; they needed a plan and a way to run it.
What EVready did
EVready Simplify starts with Playbook — a comprehensive assessment of where a dealership can save money, save time, and monetize its EV-related investments. Guardian software then actively manages charging to keep peak demand and the utility bill under control, and Manage takes the day-to-day operation off the dealership's plate.
Future charging needs
Stations and kW required to scale over time.
Utility rate tariffs
Identify alternative, lower-cost tariffs.
Demand reduction
Determine viability and financial benefit.
Incentives & funding
Determine eligibility and amount.
Battery energy storage
Evaluate ROI of a storage investment.
Demand response
Determine eligibility and financial benefit.
The result
Playbook surfaced the opportunities; Guardian and Manage captured them. The outcome was an estimated $70K in first-year cost and operational savings, $210K in avoided costs, and roughly a 3-month return on the Simplify investment — with the EVready team handling the ongoing work so Berger could stay focused on selling cars. See how the Energy Guardian software works →
Figures are estimates from Berger Chevrolet's first-year engagement and will vary by dealership, utility tariff, and site. Shared with Berger Chevrolet's permission.
Guardian in action: a real billing period
Berger Chevrolet's Energy Guardian report for March 17 – April 16, 2026 shows the system working in concrete terms. Berger operates under Consumers Energy with a demand charge rate of $16.55/kW (October–May) and $27.60/kW (June–September). Guardian managed ChargePoint and Blink charger loads against the building's base consumption to prevent a new peak from being set.
Guardian intervened in 7.1% of 15-minute intervals — 158 of 2,216 intervals — to hold the peak below the threshold. 184 charging sessions managed across the period.
What EVready Manage caught
Energy savings are part of the story. EVready Manage also provides ongoing station monitoring and support escalation — and the Berger relationship has surfaced several incidents that illustrate the difference between active management and hardware-only support.
These aren't edge cases — they're normal for a site with multiple networked chargers across two manufacturers. The difference is having someone whose job it is to catch them, escalate them, and follow through.
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