Honda has launched a new ‘intelligent’ domestic charging service for Honda E owners, which used real-time data to fill machines up with electricity at the most cost-effective times.
The Japanese firm has developed the e:Progress charging service with smart charging company Moixa and electricity supplier Octopus Energy. It is offered on the latter’s Agile Octopus combined home and EV tariff, with vehicle charging provided through a connected Honda Power Charger S+.
The system is based on Moixa software that updates electricity pricing every 30 minutes based on variances in demand and wholesale supply. Honda E owners can use an app to specify when they need their vehicles fully charged and the software then supplies charge to the vehicle at the most cost-effective times.
Honda claims the service could save an E owner doing an annual mileage of 8000 around £475 a year compared with a flat energy tariff. Octopus Energy says all of its electricity comes from renewable sources.
Honda Energy Solutions boss Jørgen Pluym said: “We think there is a necessity to have a smart connectivity between EVs and the grid to avoid congestion for energy demand, and we also believe in the future it’s important for a car manufacturer to add value to an EV through services.”
Pluym added that the set-up could be expanded in the future to allow services such as vehicle-to-grid charging and other features. He added: “The possibilities really are infinite. You can make so many variations and additions onto this service, and we are considering what we can add once we have established a stabilised service in the UK.”
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The car is called Honda e.
The e is lower case. So much for journalism.
Will this be available via Octopus only? If so then perhaps the report and whole idea is a bit misleading because it should read it will charge on Octopus's cheapest tariff which of course may be more than other electric suppliers std tariff. Of course it also means it'll tie you into Octopus which I suspect is the real reason for any tie up. Save u money? I very much doubt it.
Another thing that confuses me. You plug you car in at say 6pm but the cheapest tariff doesnt start until 11pm. Now lets say you needed to use your car at 12pm? Does than mean that in the six hrs you've had the car plugged in, it's only received 1hr charge?
Is this vehicle to grid? I'd like to think my expensive EV would be earning some money while idle, charging itself up when energy ic cheap and plentiful and discharging a little bit at opposite times. That might make me consider an EV.