Ohme has launched a smart electric vehicle charging platform, which looks to save customers hundreds of pounds a year in fuel bills.
The company’s smart charging cable is able to be controlled by an app, and when combined with time-of-use energy tariffs, means that drivers can save between £250 and £400 a year in fuel costs compared to drivers of petrol or diesel cars, according to Ohme.
As a smart charging cable, the Ohme system sees a box attached to the cable itself to automatically use the cheapest electricity, and calculates how much power is required to make sure the EV is charged to the specified minimum limits set by the owner.
When combined with a time-of-use tariff, it means that EV running costs can be as low as 2p/mile, compared to the 10+p/mile for a typical internal combustion engine (ICE) car. The app allows users to set preferences and feeds back information to make sure the system is used as efficiently as possible, without the need to install a smart charge point. Another benefit on top of lower costs is that the load on the National Grid is reduced, helping smooth out the peaks and troughs in electricity demand required with large-scale uptake of EVs.
Features include a Green Score, tracking CO2 per mile, and emissions savings compared to an equivalent ICE car. A ‘Favour Green Energy’ option will see the cable charge at times when the carbon intensity of electricity generation is lower. The cable works with all EVs, and can be used with any plug type, from three-pin sockets to existing EV charge points.
David Watson, CEO of Ohme, said: “Electric vehicle drivers have been crying out for an easy to use, cost-effective smart charging solution and Ohme is just that. Not only will we help accelerate the mass adoption of EVs by revolutionising the domestic charging landscape, we will take a lot of the capacity strain and financial stress off the electricity network operators.”
