Elli, a Volkswagen (VW) subsidiary, and PV provider Otovo have announced a strategic partnership to combine solar energy with electric mobility. By combining a wallbox and PV system, the partnership claims to reduce the total cost of ownership for EVs by up to 40%.
Combining solar energy and electromobility aims to allow both companies to develop customised solutions for the growing EV market, creating an ecosystem for sustainable mobility and energy for consumers while also saving them money.
Elli is the VW Group’s brand that offers a wide portfolio of energy and charging solutions in Europe and acts as a Mobility Service Provider. Otovo is a European marketplace for solar systems and batteries for rent or purchase. It launched its solar subscription product in the UK in March this year.
Central to the collaboration is the implementation of efficient PV surplus charging, where excess solar energy is directly used to charge electric vehicles. Starting in the summer of this year, VW customers will be able to buy a PV system with an Elli Charger 2 through VW group sales channels.
It will first roll out in Germany and then across all 13 of Otovo’s European markets: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
An Otovo solar installer will install the system. The combined wallbox and PV will offer savings to consumers who, by generating their own solar energy, will be independent of electricity price fluctuations. The system will enable consumers to charge their cars with PV surplus and save on charging costs.
Giovanni Palazzo, CEO of Elli, said: To further advance electromobility, we need to make the entire charging ecosystem more accessible and cost-effective for customers.
“Therefore, the partnership with Otovo is not only an important signal for the charging and energy business in Germany and Europe, but especially for the intelligent integration of mobility and energy transition at home. We are very pleased about this important step and the pioneering cooperation.”
Andreas Thorsheim, CEO and founder of Otovo, added: “Through the cooperation with Elli, our solar solutions will be directly presented to buyers at the point of sale. The savings associated with PV systems will thus become immediately visible. This partnership enables us to directly demonstrate the benefits of our photovoltaic systems and significantly expand our market potential.”
