DTE Electric Company

DTE Electric's main EV-specific rate is a separate-meter plug-in electric vehicle time-of-use plan. Off-peak hours run from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. at about $0.12 per kWh, and on-peak hours from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. land at about $0.25 per kWh; charging only between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. earns an additional $10 monthly bill credit. The setup requires a Level 2 charger and a dedicated meter DTE installs for the EV circuit, which means more upfront wiring work but isolates EV usage from the rest of the home.

The $500 home charger rebate is tied directly to enrolling in an EV TOU rate, so the rebate and the rate plan move together. Income-qualified customers can receive up to $1,000, and DTE will accept past enrollment in programs like the Shutoff Protection Program or Michigan Energy Assistance as evidence of income eligibility. For multifamily and commercial sites the rebate ceilings are much higher (up to $5,000 per Level 2 port, up to $14,400 per port at income-qualified properties, and up to $55,000 for a public DC fast charger), but those require a business account in good standing and a separately metered EV circuit.

DTE is an investor-owned utility regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission, and Michigan's residential market is not retail-choice, so DTE's tariff is effectively the only option for customers in its southeastern Michigan footprint. The Smart Charge managed-charging pilot is currently scoped to specific vehicle makes (Tesla 2012 and newer through WeaveGrid, Ford 2021 and newer plug-ins through ChargeScape, plus select networked Level 2 chargers); customers in shared-meter apartment buildings are explicitly not recommended for enrollment.