- OVO Energy and Kaluza have announced a partnership with Volvo Cars, to develop managed charging solutions for UK Volvo customers.
- This will include one-way smart charging, in addition to bi-directional, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) charging.
- The solution will be available from 2024, coinciding with the launch of Volvo’s EX90 SUV – the first electric car from the manufacturer with bi-directional charging capabilities.
The solution, which Kaluza and OVO have been offering since 2018, will be supported on future electric Volvo models, starting with the EX90. Algorithmic smart charging ensures the car is charged up when required, but balances this by charging the battery at the cheapest and greenest times. In combination with the vehicle-to-grid system, which will allow energy stored in EV batteries to be released back into the grid at times of demand, the technology has saved current customers an average of £420 per year on electricity bills according to Kaluza.
This potential money saving could be another key part of increasing EV uptake in the country, ahead of the 2035 ban on new petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars. Some manufacturers, such as Kia and Hyundai, are already supporting bi-directional charging on their EVs, whilst Volkswagen is still trialling the technology.
“Launching these kinds of managed charging services requires tight collaboration across retailers, OEMs and customers so we are thrilled to be orchestrating this new proposition with Volvo and OVO. Over the last four years, Kaluza has proven the considerable cost and carbon savings potential of one-way charging – value which is multiplied several times over through V2X. We are excited to deliver these innovative services to Volvo drivers up and down the country and accelerate the energy transition together.”
Neel Guhar, Chief Product Officer, Kaluza
“V2X is one of the most exciting developments coming out of the transition to electric vehicles. We know that the only way to achieve net zero is to create a smart energy system and flexibility will play a critical role in making that happen. EVs can provide huge amounts of flexibility but to make that a reality we need innovative partnerships such as this to unlock that massive potential, where we can use stored energy in EVs to reduce pressure on the grid, mitigate millions of pounds of infrastructure upgrades and reward customers for doing their bit. OVO is passionate about this and we are thrilled to be partnering with Volvo and Kaluza.”
Alex Thwaites, Director of EV, OVO Energy
