Vehicle manufacturer Smart UK has chosen Ohme as its official home electric vehicle (EV) charger partner.
Smart will now recommend Ohme home EV chargers to its customers seeking a home EV charging solution, with Ohme chargers available to view in Smart showrooms. Ohme will also provide a full EV charging solution to customers, including installation of the charger, as well as training retailers.
Ohme chargers use live data from the UK grid to provide a dynamic charging solution at the lowest possible cost. Customers can set their charger to automatically adjust and charge when energy is at its cheapest and greenest.
Jason Allbutt, CEO of Smart UK, said the company was “delighted” at the collaboration, stating: “Our vehicles are designed to offer an emotive yet intuitive experience, making Ohme’s unique dynamic charging capabilities the perfect match for us.”
David Watson, CEO of Ohme, echoed this sentiment: “We’re looking forward to introducing Smart’s customers to the benefits of dynamic charging and supporting its retailer network.”
Home charging key to boosting EV uptake
Data from EV charging mapping service Zapmap has shown that charging an EV using public chargepoints can cost as much as £400 more annually than driving an equivalent petrol or diesel car and between £700 and £1,100 more than charging an EV at home.
In an effort to increase the benefits of home charging for EV drivers, many energy suppliers and vehicle manufacturers are offering new tariffs and services.
These include Volkswagen, which announced in July that customers who buy from any VW group brand will now be able to charge their vehicle at home at a special rate of 7p/kWh thanks to a collaboration with OVO Energy and its Charge Anytime tariff add-on.
Stellantis, the owner of leading vehicle brands including Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Opel and Vauxhall, has joined forces with energy software company Kaluza, who will provide automated and optimised smart charging services for customers of Stellantis’s range of brands.
Meanwhile, utility ScottishPower launched a new tariff add-on in September for its customers, allowing them to save money on EV charging. Customers use the ScottishPower app to set when they need their car charged and how much charge is needed, and ScottishPower will charge their vehicle by the deadline with the cheapest and greenest electricity available. EDF Energy has announced a trial of a similar system, providing automated overnight EV charging to provide the best value for drivers.
