Ohme moves to make EV charging as cheap as possible (Image Credit: Ohme)Ohme has launched the Ohme App, a free smart charging app for electric vehicles (EV). The app contains many of the features currently only available in premium apps. One of its key features is turning a dumb cable into a smart charging cable. Smart charging cables talk to the network and get the lowest possible price.

The app also pairs with the vehicle. This means the vehicle, not the owner, spends time getting the cheapest rate. The Ohme App also works with the Ohme time-of-use tariff. It means potential savings of hundreds of pounds per year by hooking up at low and even negative tariff times for consumers. For fleet owners, that saving could represent tens of thousands of pounds of savings.

David Watson, CEO of Ohme (Image Credit: Ohme)
David Watson, CEO of Ohme

David Watson, CEO of Ohme, said: “The two biggest short-term obstacles to EV adoption are cost and energy capacity. While prices of EVs are falling, they won’t be as affordable as petrol vehicles for a few years. Meanwhile, our energy grids were not designed to support millions of future EVs and will not be able to cope unless energy demand is carefully managed in the future.

“Ohme App demonstrates how a single, smart solution can meet both challenges head-on. By taking advantage of time-of-use tariffs, we can help drivers make significant savings on the cost of charging their vehicles. This also benefits energy operators by spreading demand more intelligently and providing crucial insights to help them future proof the grid.”

Can Ohme help boost infrastructure?

Among the benefits that Watson mentions is that the Ohme App provides data to energy operators. It gives them greater control over power generation. One of the challenges of renewable energy is the storage of power. Rather than have those sources turned off or scaled back, the idea is to persuade users to recharge vehicles. Lower spot charges and negative tariffs are two ways to achieve this.

The energy provider will also see where there is the most demand for more charge points. It will enable them to focus their infrastructure funds to get the best investment return. This is especially important in rural areas where rolling out infrastructure is expensive. Operators will be able to see how many homeowners are using EVs and work with local government to improve infrastructure coverage.

Enterprise Times: What does this mean?

Despite the effort made by the EV industry, there are still many reasons put forward for not moving away from petrol or diesel vehicles. A lack of infrastructure, range of vehicles, a need to change the way you drive and cost are the four most common.

According to Ohme, using the Ohme App with its time-of-use tariff brings the cost of driving 10,000 miles down to just £160-£210 compared to £435-£560 using a dumb cable. The savings are even more marked compared to a petrol car doing 36mpg, which would cost £1,300 for the same mileage.

For fleet operators, the ability to save over £1,000 per vehicle per year solely on fuel costs is extremely attractive. While it doesn’t offset the higher costs of acquisition, it does make the decision to go EV more than just a greenwash on the corporate governance page.

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