Octopus Electric Vehicles has launched a new package that provides drivers in the UK and the US with a car, charger and energy tariff.
The package includes the combined use of the Intelligent Octopus tariff and a free Ohme Home Pro charger.
Intelligent Octopus uses KrakenFlex – the Octopus Group’s smart energy management platform – to charge EVs when it is best for the energy system. It includes a low-cost window of six hours, between 23:30-05:30 when the price sits at just 7.5p/kWh.
According to Octopus, the tariff is the UK’s first 100% flexible charging tariff. It is available for all EV drivers with an Ohme Home Pro smart charger – not just those purchased as part of the new package.
The company pointed to the wider benefits of smart charging EVs, highlighting analysis from the Carbon Trust and Imperial College which found a fully flexible energy system could reduce costs in the UK by up to £16.7 billion a year by 2050.
Along with the saving gleaned from using smart charging, as part of the new package EV drivers will be given 5,000 free miles on the tariff. If they do no have access to home charging, they will gain access to 5,000 free miles on the Electric Juice Network – Octopus’s public charging network that includes 250,000 chargers across Europe.
An average UK driver on Intelligent Octopus with 5,000 free miles can expect to save up to £3,775 on fuel costs over the course of a three-year lease period when compared with an equivalent petrol car, according to Octopus.
“This new package makes it easy for motorists to make the switch to electric in a way that’s simple and hassle-free. With the car, Ohme Home Pro smart charger, EV energy tariff and 5,000 miles of free charging all rolled into a single bundle, it’s a one-stop shop for drivers to make the switch to an electric vehicle,” said David Watson, CEO of Ohme.
In addition to the charger and tariff, a new part of the Octopus Energy Group – the Electric Vehicle disruptor – has opened in the UK, with a second country base in the US being set up.
This builds on the company’s salary sacrifice scheme, which has signed up 1,500 businesses since it was launched in 2021 for employees to get EVs at reduced upfront cost. In May, Octopus Electric Vehicles’ received multi-million pound funding from HSBC UK to further grow the salary sacrifice scheme.
Like the scheme, the new package will see customers’ monthly bills covering the car, tyres, servicing, repair and breakdown assistance from The AA.
Additionally, Octopus Electric Vehicles will guide customers through the whole experience, it said, helping drivers pick the right car and answering any questions they might have.
“Demand for electric cars is soaring – driven by over 65 amazing cars from 28 manufacturers, low running costs and convenient charging at home and work,” said Fiona Howarth, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles.
“We’ve seen that drivers are looking for experts that can offer the full EV package to guide them through their journey. With more EV models entering the market every month, and innovative tariffs like Intelligent Octopus making charging your car as easy as your phone, we only expect the transition to accelerate.”
Octopus Electric Vehicles has preordered popular EVs already for its distributor, to help manage the long lead times currently being seen in the sector. The typical delivery time for an EV in the UK is now between 40 weeks and a year, according to recent research from NewAutomotive.
Along with launching the EV driver package in the UK, the company is launching Octopus Electric Vehicles U.S. This comes a year after Octopus Energy – the supplier arm of the Octopus Group – launched in Houston, with its customer base having already grown tenfold.
In the US, Octopus Electric Vehicles has launched a personal leasing product dubbed EV Concierge, as part of the new EV package, to help accelerate adoption in Texas and across the US.
