UK energy retailer Octopus Energy – part-owned by Australia’s Origin Energy – launched a new vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bundle in partnership with Chinese car and battery giant BYD and charger manufacturer Zaptec.
The bundle – unveiled at the EnergyTech Summit in London, part of London Climate Action Week, includes a BYD Dolphin EV, a Zaptec Pro charger, and free home charging.
For under £300/month (around $A629), customers can lease the package and, according to Octopus, “participate in the energy ecosystem.”
The company claims users can save around £620 ($A1,300) annually on energy and £1000 ($A2,096) on vehicle costs. Eligibility requires the charger to remain connected to Octopus’s Kraken software, and Octopus must secure a G99 energy export connection license on the user’s behalf.
However, to access the full benefits, users must plug in their vehicle at least 20 times per month for 12 hours per session. Octopus’s terms and conditions don’t clarify the consequences of not meeting this requirement.
To improve access, Octopus has partnered with motability services to accommodate disabled drivers and passengers.
While Octopus hasn’t confirmed it, the use of the Zaptec Pro charger suggests this is an AC V2G offering. The charger supports ISO15118 to communicate with the vehicle but uses a proprietary protocol for cloud communication, relying on the older OCPP 1.6j standard.
Zaptec chargers were also recently launched in Australia at the Sydney EV Infrastructure Summit by local distributor SEVR. With BYD already selling the Dolphin locally and Origin using Kraken software, the elements are in place to quickly roll out this product in Australia.
Ed Lynch-Bell is Principal at Second Mouse, dedicated to building more sustainable energy tech and mobility products, services and businesses. Ed is also a co-host of the Melbourne and Sydney EV Meet-ups, bringing the e-mobility industry together.