Energy app generates money for electric car driver
Tesla-drivers saved up to 15 percent during pilot test
A smart link between the time at which the battery of an electric car is charged and fluctuations in energy prices makes it possible for owners of these cars to save up to 15 percent on their monthly electricity costs. This was demonstrated by a pilot test among 40 Tesla drivers conducted by Eneco during the past four months.
This spring, Eneco introduced the SmartCharging app. Tesla drivers use this app to charge their car using green power when the market price is most favourable. During the night, for example, at a time when the wind is strong and the amount of green power generated by wind turbines exceeds the demand. This is not only to the advantage of customers: the app also reduces the load on the grid, by balancing the demand for and supply of sustainable electricity.
Jorg van Heesbeen, member of the Eneco SmartCharging project team: 'In view of the increasing amount of sustainably generated electricity, smart solutions for balancing supply and demand are becoming more and more important. Relatively speaking, electric cars use a lot of power and are usually charged during the night, which makes them particularly suitable for flexible charging solutions. We expect that it will be possible to recharge other consumer appliances that use a lot of energy, such as heat pumps and air-conditioning systems, in the same manner in the near future.'
45 euros saved
Henk Kippersluis, one of the drivers in the pilot project, is enthusiastic: “As far as I know, there are not many apps that save money without any effort. All I have to do is indicate at what time the car must be fully charged and the app takes care of rest. In a period of four months, I have already saved 45 euros.” On average, the participants in the pilot project saved between 10 to 15 percent per month on their charging costs.
Future
Eneco expects to be able to offer this service for additional car brands by this fall. At present, the service is available only in combination with an energy contract with Eneco. However, in time, the sustainable energy company aims to also make it available to Dutch customers of other energy providers as well as in other countries.