Octopus EV and Co Charger join forces to close EV charging gap

• Octopus Electric Vehicles and Co Charger partner to unlock cheap, clean charging from the EV community
• Co Charger pledges to plant a tree for every Octopus EV customer that becomes a Host on the service

London, 6th September 2023 - Octopus Electric Vehicles, the EV specialist business from Octopus Energy Group, has announced a partnership with Co Charger to help unlock the potential of community charging to make EVs better value for everyone.

Community charging addresses an awkward truth in the switch to EVs: those who can’t have home chargers are over five times less likely to go electric. By making it easy for those with private chargers to share them with neighbours who can’t have them, Co Charger gives everyone access to affordable, bookable charging while at home.

Octopus Electric Vehicles, who offer a home charger with every vehicle they supply, will encourage drivers who lease their EVs to join the service as Hosts. They will also ensure people without driveways know about Co Charger as an excellent means to run an EV.

Co Charger’s network of shared home chargers is now equivalent to the second largest charging network in the UK. The app adds another layer to the UK’s charging infrastructure, enabling millions more drivers to charge while at home, thereby giving a major boost to the EV transition.

The platform from Co Charger also allows charger owners to make some additional income, with some Hosts earning as much as £1,000 a year – all while helping their neighbourhoods to switch away from fossil fuelled motoring.

One of the key initiatives of the partnership is the pledge to plant a tree for every new driver who joins the Co Charger app through this joint effort.

Natalia Peralta Silverstone, head of propositions at Octopus Electric Vehicles, commented: "The EV market is coming of age but we must not take our foot off the accelerator. As more drivers make the switch to clean, green, cheaper driving, we need a whole repertoire of charging options. Co Charger is helping to plug the gap for those who don’t have access to cheap charging from their own driveway. Instead, we can create an army of EV drivers to rent out their charger - providing another charging option while earning some cash.”

Joel Teague, CEO at Co-Charger, said: “This is the perfect partnership. Every Co Charger Host can prevent many tonnes of CO2 emissions every year, improve their local air quality, and earn good money while doing it - just by enabling their neighbours to switch away from fossil fuelled vehicles. Octopus EV is a trailblazer in the transition to EVs, and by adding more Hosts to the Co Charger network they’re making an even bigger difference. By planting just one tree per new Host, we hope to create a small forest that represents well over a million tonnes of CO2 saved.”

-Ends-

Press Contact

Sam Salehi

sam.salehi@octoenergy.com

0204 5308 369

Octopus Electric Vehicles:

Octopus Electric Vehicles, part of the Octopus Energy Group, was launched in 2018 to make it easy for drivers to make that switch to clean, electric transport. With over 85 electric cars now available from 28 different brands, Octopus Electric Vehicles’ team provides everything drivers need to take the road in a new EV.

Offering an all-in-one service, Octopus lease the cars, install charge points, provide specialist EV energy tariffs, and offer access to over 430,000 public charge points across Europe via Octopus Electroverse. All with a 5* rating on Trustpilot.

Octopus Electric Vehicles also specialises in salary sacrifice schemes - an employee benefit that makes driving a brand new electric car cheaper than the petrol or diesel equivalent through tax savings. Placing customer experience first, Octopus Electric Vehicles has designed the scheme to be simple for an employer to set up and run, and support them at every step. Drivers typically save between 30-40% every month on the cost of their EV; and at zero-cost for an employer to set up, it’s great for their team, their hiring and retention, and for their sustainability goals.

More information can be found at www.octopusev.com

Co Charger:

Co Charger is the UK's only purpose-built Community Charging app and uses this community to help accelerate electric vehicle adoption. The service has more than 4,800 registered Hosts, equating to the second biggest EV charging network in the UK. Through the app and collaborations, Co Charger enables people who cannot charge a vehicle at home to do so within a short walking distance.

Payment operates with the Chargee paying Co Charger and Co Charger passing that onto the Host after taking a nominal fee. The Co Charger app is available for both iOS and Android, free to download and there is no subscription. More information about how charging sessions are managed is available in Co Charger FAQs

Summing up Co Charger in 60 seconds – YouTube video – Co Charger – Together we're electrifying!