Ecotricity Launch Their “Fully Charged” Bundle — A New Deal For UK EV Charging

Hot off the Press

I have just received a press release from Ecotricity, outlining a new deal for EV drivers, starting in January 2018. The deal includes cheaper charging on their public, EV fast-charging network, a home charging unit, supplied and installed for only £99, and finally a special tariff for home electricity. This might, in the future, be linked in with a smart-meter variable tariff, which Dale Vince mentioned in a recent interview for CleanTechnica.

The press-release stated as follows —

Ecotricity, Britain’s greenest energy company, and charge point manufacturer Rolec EV, have launched the “Fully Charged Bundle”, a new electric vehicle charging offer with 3 key elements-

1. 1. New green electricity EV tariff
   2. Home charger unit, fully installed for only £99
   3. Cheaper charging on the road

New green electricity tariff recognising electric vehicle drivers use more power than the average home, Ecotricity has created a new structure that will save the average EV household around £120 a year compared to a Big Six standard tariff – it’s the lowest cost electric vehicle tariff on the market.*

WallPod home charging unit from Rolec – £99 installed – Thanks to its new partnership with charging specialists Rolec, Ecotricity customers can benefit from a significant discount on a professionally installed home charging unit. The WallPod can charge a vehicle up to 60% faster than a standard plug socket. Compared to other home chargers, this is a saving of around £180 – and is exclusive to Ecotricity customers.

Half price charging on the road with the Electric Highway – Ecotricity is removing the connection fee of £3 for everybody and will charge a simple 30p per unit to charge on the road. Ecotricity customers will pay just 15p per unit – half price, and roughly equivalent to what they will be paying for their green electricity at home on the new Green Electricity + EV tariff – around a £50 a year saving for the average user.

Dale Vince, Founder of Ecotricity, said:

“We’ve been driving Britain’s electric vehicle revolution for almost two decades, and are delighted to be teaming up with Rolec – they bring an important element to this new comprehensive EV driver package – a home charging solution. Our ambition in doing this is clear – to make electric vehicle charging at home and on the road more simple, joined up and cost effective for existing and new EV drivers, and in this way we hope to encourage more people to go electric.”

Kieron Alsop, Managing Director of Rolec, added:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Ecotricity to launch this game-changing bundle for electric vehicle drivers. Rolec manufacture Europe’s largest and most comprehensive range of charging points and have recently hit the 75,000 units milestone. The Fully Charged bundle will benefit all EV drivers who switch.”

Ecotricity has championed the adoption of electric vehicles in the UK for almost 20 years. The company powered London’s first on-street charger in March 1999, built the record-breaking Nemesis electric supercar in 2008 and kick started the adoption of electric motoring in Britain back in 2011, by creating one of the world’s first national charging networks, the Electric Highway.

I say —

This is good news for EV drivers in the UK.  Not only is the electricity 100% from renewable sources, but Ecotricity is constantly investing in new renewable energy systems and conservation measures. Our energy bills become an investment in a greener Britain. A home charger is a very good investment, and can be a real life-saver when you come home with a flat battery and need to go out again later. A 10-amp charger adds about 10 miles of range in an hour, whereas a 32-amp charger might be adding 30 miles of range in the same time, though they are only claiming a 60% improvement. A charger installed for £99 is the cheapest I have seen anywhere. We all depend on the Ecotricity Electric Highway to go motorway cruising, so a reduction in cost is a welcome bonus.