British Gas has expanded its partnership with Toyota to launch the domestic wallbox chargepoint, Toyota HomeCharge.
Designed exclusively for Toyota electric and plug-in hybrid models, customers who order a new electric car or van between 3 April and 1 July 2024 will receive the chargepoint for free. Installation of the ABB Terra 3 home charger and associated maintenance by British Gas engineers is included, too.
Toyota HomeCharge is the vehicle manufacturer’s first investment into at-home charging. Using the MyToyota app, drivers will be able to manage their charging requirements and schedule personalised charging times.
Kim Royds, head of mobility at Centrica (which owns British Gas), said: “To get more electric vehicles on the UK’s roads, we must see greater collaboration and knowledge sharing between industry leaders, OEMs and energy providers. That’s exactly what we set out to do in partnering with Toyota – and it reaffirms our ambition to help drivers seamlessly transition into low emission vehicles.”
British Gas and Toyota have had a strategic partnership for the last three years, during which time the energy provider has installed more than 1,500 Hive EV chargers at Toyota and Lexus customers’ homes.
Royds added: “Access to at-home charging remains one of the key barriers to electric vehicle adoption and our long-term partnership with Toyota is designed to tackle this. The vehicle manufacturer has trusted us to work collaboratively to develop products and solutions that will give their customers greater control over their electrification experience. We look forward to working more closely with Toyota in the years ahead.”
Toyota HomeCharge installations will begin in May. Customers who order their new electric vehicle after the promotional period will be able to purchase Toyota HomeCharge for £1,095 at any nationwide Toyota centre.
British Gas home charging offers
In February, British Gas announced the launch of its Hive SmartCharge service, which it claimed would provide the “cheapest” EV charge price in the UK. Hive SmartCharge users benefit from a 4p/kWh saving on EV charging, allowing customers to make up to £298 per year in savings.
British Gas also launched an Electric Driver tariff – charging an effective rate of just 4.95p/kWh if the vehicle is charged overnight between the hours of midnight and 5am – on top of the firm’s existing scheme, which offered 12 months of free home charging to new customers buying a Hive EV charger.
Lloyd Wilson, general manager of electrification at Toyota (GB), said: “HomeCharge is designed to work with both our MyToyota and Lexus Link+ Apps and our wide range of electrified models – both cars and vans – to give our customers a convenient, reliable and flexible means of charging their vehicle at home.
“British Gas has the extensive experience and depth of technical resources to provide a trusted installation and support service as we roll out this important new product.”
