Electric briefs: Latest from Ovo, Connected Energy, New Automotive, Volkswagen Group and Ohme

Ovo launches ‘Charge Anywhere’ for cut-price EV charging

Ovo is cutting the cost of charging electric vehicles (EVs) on the public network with the launch of Charge Anywhere.

Available to all EV owners, not just Ovo customers, Charge Anywhere aims to help people find, use and pay for charging wherever they are via its app, Ovo Charge. 

It shows the live availability of more than 34,000 public chargers across the UK - and 400,00 across Europe – and lets EV drivers unlock savings through one its in-app ‘Boost’ plans.

With a monthly price of £2 for ‘Light Boost’ and £8 for ‘Turbo Boost’, drivers can access discounts of 10-15% compared to pay as you go public charging rates - saving up to £4.28 on every charge. 

Mat Moakes, chief commercial officer at Ovo, said: “We’ve made Charge Anywhere available to all EV drivers - not just Ovo customers - because we want to help more people drive sustainably.

“Charge Anywhere will help drivers find, use and pay for charging points and access discounted rates, with the potential to save them hundreds of pounds each year.

“It’s a great addition to our existing Charge Anytime plan, which has saved Ovo customers charging their EVs at home more than £6 million since launching last year.” 

To access Charge Anywhere, download the Ovo Charge App on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

Volkswagen Group extends Ohme partnership

The Volkswagen Group has extended its partnership with Ohme as its official home EV charging company in the UK.

Continuing the collaboration between Ohme and the Volkswagen Group that started in 2022, the agreement continues to see all six Volkswagen Group brands – Audi, Cupra, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – recommend Ohme chargers for all of their electrified vehicle sales.

David Watson, Ohme CEO, said: “When our collaboration with the Volkswagen Group began in 2022, it already had one of the most comprehensive ranges of electric models and that has only grown.

“We look forward to continuing to introduce its drivers to the benefits of dynamic smart charging with dramatically reduced running costs.”

Kate Jeffreys, electric vehicles business lead for Volkswagen Group UK, said: “Following a robust procurement process, we were very happy to continue with Ohme as our official home EV charger for the Volkswagen Group.

“Ohme’s attitude towards excellent customer service together with its award-winning chargers and its dynamic technology which is able to access some of the most affordable EV tariffs on the market, made it an obvious choice.”

Ohme’s dynamic smart chargers can connect with the grid in real time, automatically adjusting to optimise the cost of charging and accessing all the times of the smartest, greenest and lowest cost energy tariffs.

Energy storage systems help Volvo truck dealerships to electrify

Two Volvo Truck and Bus dealers have overcome power capacity from the grid at two sites to power HGV charging infrastructure.

The transition to all-electric trucks requires charge points that can be up to 50 times more powerful than fast chargers for cars.

This places a much bigger strain on energy supplies than car charging – with many organisations lacking the available electricity capacity to install the charging they require.

Connected Energy, a global leader in second-life battery energy storage systems, worked with Volvo Truck and Bus North & Scotland in Carlisle and Volvo Truck & Bus Centre London North, in Enfield, to install their 300kW E-Stor system.

The systems will provide enough power to ensure both facilities can run high-capacity charging points – 350kW and five 22kW electric car chargers for courtesy cars and vans for Enfield, while at Carlisle E-Stor will support a 150kW truck charge point and two 22kW electric car chargers for courtesy cars and vans.

Christian Coolsaet, managing director at Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland, said: “By installing Connected Energy’s battery energy storage systems, we can bring additional power onto the sites which helps us to move forward with the installation of high-powered charge points.

“The systems also support our wider net zero strategy to decarbonise our own workshop operations which includes investments in air source heat pumps, PV solar panels, energy efficient smart lighting systems and transitioning our service and parts van and courtesy car fleets to electric.

“London North will become one of our flagship carbon-neutral sites, generating its own power from a solar array with excess generation stored within the battery energy storage systems.”

Matthew Lumsden, CEO of Connected Energy, added: “Truck depots and service centres were not designed with EV charging in mind, so many of them are facing capacity issues as they look to extend their range into larger vehicles.

“E-Stor is often a more affordable alternative to expensive grid infrastructure upgrades – or in some cases the only option.

“We have seen an increase in enquiries as bus and truck operators begin to understand the lack of capacity on their sites and start to look for solutions to grid constraints.”

A quarter more electric cars expected to be on UK roads by 2025 

The number of electric cars on UK roads will increase by 24% to 1.24 million by the end of 2024, according to New AutoMotive. 

If every car manufacturer hits the sales target of 22% zero-emission cars as outlined in the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, the number of EVs could rise further to 1.3m.

Key findings from New Automotive’s annual State of the Switch report, include the ratio of petrol and diesel vehicle miles to EV miles driven in 2023 was 25:1 and is predicted to fall to 21:1 in 2024.

EVs charged on a standard tariff were also approximately 30% cheaper per mile than running a diesel vehicle and 36% cheaper per mile than a petrol vehicle.

Furthermore, it found that cost savings balloon to 78-80% cheaper per mile if the EV is charged on an overnight or EV-specific tariff, which are available from all the biggest six electricity suppliers.

Ben Nelmes, CEO of New AutoMotive, said: “The price of public EV charging needs to come down to match home tariffs, and through simple policy changes we can make charging more affordable for all - not just those with off-street parking.”

You can view New AutoMotive’s full report State of the Switch 2024 report here.