Nordic EV charger manufacturer Zaptec has unveiled a new integration with smart charging platform ev.energy to expand the impact of solar-powered EV charging.
Under the partnership, users of the Zaptec Go home charger can connect their unit to the ev.energy app-based platform in order to access a wide ranging suite of smart EV charging options. One of the most notable of these features includes the ability to automatically align EV charging with the availability of solar energy for those who have home solar setups installed, to take advantage of solar energy when abundant and thus save money on charging costs and energy bills.
Additionally, users will be added onto ev.energy’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP) to participate in grid-balancing services. They can also monitor charging in real time and start and stop EV charge sessions remotely through the dedicated app.
As of today (22 May) the integration is now live for Zaptec customers in the UK and the Netherlands. Neither firm has yet confirmed if there are plans to roll out this integration in other countries worldwide.
Michael Braybrook, managing director of Zaptec UK, said that the partnership would allow customers to get the most from their home energy and EV setups through cost and emissions savings. He added: “We’re focused on creating a charging experience that’s not just smart but truly connected to a sustainable future”.
This is not the first major partnership ev.energy has made so far this year. In late January, it was revealed that ev.energy had partnered with EV chargepoint manufacturer and software provider Hypervolt to integrate Hypervolt’s UltraGrid with the ev.energy platform, something which the two firms stated at the time would allow Hypervolt customers to optimise their at-home EV charging for the lowest possible cost.
Smart charging has recently been shown to be beneficial and attractive to users of public EV charging networks as well as home based users. Energy research institute the Centre for Net Zero (CNZ), has released data from a recent pricing trial at public chargepoints across the UK that found that using dynamic pricing increases the use of public EV chargers during times of electricity oversupply. The trial demonstrated that price is a key driver of consumer behaviour for EV charger usage, while also proving the usefulness of the public EV charging network in grid balancing.
