VW agree 3 year home electric charger deal with Centrica
Centrica, the parent group of British Gas has agreed a three year electric charger deal with VW to help accelerate the rollout of its electric cars in the UK.
The deal will help VW customers to charge their cars at a lower price. Centrica will offer a one-stop package for purchasers of VW electric vehicles.
Under the partnership agreement Elli (the central provider of charging hardware for VW) will work exclusively with Centrica to deliver a package of home charging installations, after sales services and upgrades. Centrica will also have to provide the lowest available night time charging rates.
It is hoped the tie up will make it easier for VW customers to switch to their electric vehicles by removing the hassle of organising and installing the home charging kit.
Alex Smith, the managing director of Volkswagen stated that 2020 would be a “landmark year” for the group, after launching the ID.3 model. VW plans to produce over 300,000 electric vehicles by 2021.
The VW electric cars have a range of between 205 and 340 miles on a single charge. Smith believes the deal with Centrica could help overcome some of the anxieties customers have as they make the switch to electric vehicles.
The deal also covers the other car makers in the Volkswagen group, including Seat and Skoda, with plans for Audi to join later in 2020.
The agreement with VW comes less than a year after Centrica cut a deal with Ford for them to market its car chargers and EV-charging tariffs in the UK.
A similar strategy is being adapted by Ovo Energy. Ovo collaborated with Nissan on a smaller scale to help install compatible home chargers for the Nissan Leaf model.
