Source: Octopus Energy
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.
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$7,550 a year for the car.
Less the 'savings' is $4150 a year, which is its $345 a month / $80 a week.
For people who find things tight, $80 a week for transport (car and fuel) is not a hard number to swallow.
They'll probably sell at least 700 here in Australia over 12 months (a bit better than 10% EV sales in the micro car segment of ~6000 annual sales).
We can see why the seagull isn't coming here anytime soon.
Why accepting a bundle (east 20 times per month for 12 hours per session & Octopus’s terms and conditions don’t clarify the consequences of not meeting this requirement.) when using the same technology (BiDi) for V2H ?
With V2H you stay in your own control, when and why you use you're PV roof power either for driving or powering your home.
On top you provide third parties a detailed picture of your living - worth the penny they might pay you ?
The car should be free and you should get paid around $A629 per month to commit to 12 hour continuous session per day for 20 days per month. I take it that this is a VPP.
Who is going sign up for this garbage (not the car but the commitment)? You're unable to drive your car from 6pm to 6am or whatever time of day that might suit you to meet these conditions. You will need to plan usage of the car around that 12 hour charging session, no thanks.
Yes, very odd story about the UK & nothing about government policy on this matter. May be interesting to know greater detail about the AU setting, but for now this appears to be a lift of social media in another country with little context for us. Is also worded to infer the company products have all the say, control & policy, yet we know our Feds have been working on this for some time.
Without more information, I’ll just stick with my Powerwall thanks. No interest in the UK cock-up at all really.
Whats a straight lease on a dolphin worth?