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elvah changes tariffs: Energy account - Charging like a prepaid phone
The charging startup elvah from Rheinland-Pfalz and Berlin has announced the adjustment and expansion of its tariff system. The young company, founded only in April 2021, which quickly expanded to over 30 countries and 200,000 connected charging points, wants to offer a new model alongside the old tariffs, modeled after prepaid smartphones. E-mobilists and app users will pay a fixed amount in three tariff levels of 5, 50, and 100 euros per month and receive 10, 90, and 180 kWh of electricity in return. If the budget is not used, the excess charging volume flows into a so-called energy account and remains available to the user, unlike fixed smartphone tariffs.
For Beginners and Home Chargers: Start with 10-kWh Base Package
If the user needs more driving electricity, the provider's basic prices apply. However, one must reckon with the general trend of rising electricity prices to 54 ct per kWh in AC and 69 ct per kWh in DC. Nevertheless, the offer, which was previously considered one of the cheapest on the market with subscription models "Flat" from 89 to 199 euros/month depending on the car class, and Flex with charging packages of 25 kWh for 8.99 euros (from the 4th package onwards 13.99 euros), should continue to be an affordable option for e-mobilists. Additionally, the "price promise" applies to all charging stations connected via the app: If the start doesn't work through the app, only the base price is paid. If more is incurred, you can submit the invoice and receive the difference credited to your energy account in the form of kWh. Initially, only the basic "S" package with 10 kWh/month is available.
"That might sound like little at first. But if you consider that many e-car users have very uneven needs and can transfer the amount of electricity, that may be sufficient for some e-car newbies. It could also be enough for home or workplace chargers," explains co-founder and CPO Sören Ziems to VISION mobility.
Further Tariff Levels in Preparation
Additionally, the further stages "M" and "L" are in preparation, which should also cover regular electricity needs. Furthermore, a monthly change of tariffs is possible. In addition to the "transfer" of the electricity amount and the standard charging recommendations via the so-called elvah score, higher tariffs include free additional services that are intended to foster trust in e-mobility. For instance, "M" includes emergency roadside assistance, while "L" adds further "mobility services" like potential replacement vehicles or covering home or onward travel costs. These services are applicable, for example, if the battery is empty. The service is realized in collaboration with a "large" insurance provider, as Ziems hints.
Existing Customers Can Stay in the Old System
The founder emphasizes the importance of keeping existing customers in their accustomed tariffs, thereby creating an additional offering. A key feature of the app is that users receive a qualified assessment of the charging point quality, to which they can now contribute themselves through frequently used comment, photo, and even quiz functions. In the background, data from the analysis of 25 million data points also flow into the so-called "score," where artificial intelligence evaluates criteria like the activation time of the charger or "unusual patterns."
"This could, for instance, be when a charging point has been activated only for one minute 15 times in a row," sketches Ziems.
The young entrepreneurs aim to achieve high reliability of the connected charging infrastructure, among other things, through this approach.
"A charger is not always the same. Even with the same hardware and software, charging quality can vary significantly at different locations," Ziems continues to explain.
Regarding green energy, he points out that while they have no direct influence over the Charge Point Operator (CPO), i.e., the operator of the charger, they can still provide users with guidance through the score. Elvah does not intend to push for a widely discussed blocking fee, recently introduced by the Baden-Württemberg energy company EnBW in its network. However, Ziems emphasizes that a "charging spot is not a parking spot." In the interest of the community, each charging slot should be vacated 30 minutes after the charging process is completed, especially during the critical time between 7 AM and 9 PM, the company generally states.
Key Pillar for E-Success: Positive Charging Experience
From the elvah founder's perspective, a reliable, comfortable, and not overly expensive charging experience is the crucial key to the breakthrough of e-mobility, in addition to the range of e-vehicles themselves.
Translated automatically from German."The latter seems to be quite settled at present; the ranges are fitting. Now we want to help ensure that the second pillar stands strong as well," explains Ziems.
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