“Volkswagen Naturstrom” is expressly intended for customers outside owners of Volkswagen Group brands and electric vehicles. Elli’s goal is the digital networking of energy and mobility. This is based on the conviction that e-mobility can only be really sustainable if vehicles are powered by electricity generated on a CO2-free basis.
“With our Naturstrom offering, we want to make eco-power easy and inexpensive to buy and to establish ourselves as a reliable partner for innovative, sustainable energy solutions for households and electric vehicles” said Thorsten Nicklass, designated CEO of Elli.
Karsten Miede, project manager for Volkswagen Naturstrom and Head of E-Mobility Services with VW Kraftwerk GmbH, added that as that as the supplier of Volkswagen Naturstrom the company is opening up an entirely new business area for the Group and that in the new world of mobility, the topics of energy and the automobile will become increasingly closely linked.
Up to the market launch of the first electric car based on the new modular electric toolkit (MEB), the Volkswagen ID, Elli will be gradually building up a portfolio of smart charging solutions ranging from hardware via invoicing and additional digital services through to comprehensive consultancy packages up to the beginning of 2020. The range will include wallboxes, charging stations and IT-based energy management systems as well as customer cards for charging on the road.
In Germany, the standing and commodity charges of all electricity suppliers are subject to regional differences and depend on a number of factors including the utilisation charges of grid operators. A sample calculation for central Berlin indicates that a typical household of three persons with an annual consumption of 3,500 kilowatt-hours could save about 280 euros compared with the standard tariff of the local general supplier over the contract term of 24 months. The special feature of the Elli tariff calculator is that it can include the consumption of an electric car in addition to a household, if the customer so wishes.
Electricity customers using the new tariff will be supporting the energy transition. For each kilowatt-hour used by a customer, the same quantity of power will be fed to the grid from renewable sources such as wind, solar or hydroelectric power facilities. Currently, the power is taken mainly from hydropower plants in Germany and neighbouring countries with physical network links such as Austria or Switzerland.
TÜV Nord certifies that the power comes from environmentally compatible power plants. This body confirms that the quantity of power purchased by the customer is taken entirely from CO2- free plants. It is also certified that the supplier, VW Kraftwerk, invests actively in the expansion of renewable energies, for example through the construction of the Salzgitter wind farm which is due to be connected to the grid before the end of the year. It is planned that some of the power generated there should be included in the power mix for Volkswagen Naturstrom.
The minimum contract term is 24 months, with a full price guarantee for the first 12 months. For the second period of 12 months, Elli guarantees that there will be no price adjustments as a result of changes in invoicing, procurement, sales and other administrative expenses. The time required for the changeover depends on the current contract, the local network operator and, in the case of relocation, the removal date.
Elli is currently developing other energy and mobility solutions for customers in Germany and Europe offering electric vehicle drivers and fleet managers the easy use of digitally networked electricity. Elli has offices in Wolfsburg, Berlin and Munich.
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