Honda debuts intelligent charging service e:PROGRESS

Honda is to debut its domestic intelligent charging service ‘e:PROGRESS’ in the UK, which is offered exclusively to Honda e customers.

e:PROGRESS uses a connected charger and intelligent software developed by Moixa. The software sets a charging schedule to ensure the car is always adequately charged when it’s needed based on the requirements of the owner, while optimising the use of low-price clean energy. Customers can change their charging requirements at any time through the e:PROGRESS app.

Electricity is provided by Octopus Energy through its Agile Octopus tariff, a combined tariff for both the EV and home which allows customers access to lower prices during renewable-heavy, off-peak periods. Moixa’s software selects the most cost-effective times to charge the Honda e based on the tariff, which changes price as often as every 30 minutes in response to fluctuations in wholesale energy prices. This gives customers an estimated annual saving in charging costs of up to £475 per year compared to a standard flat tariff*, while Octopus Energy guarantees that 100% of its electricity comes from renewable sources.

The preferred connected charger for the service is the Honda Power Charger S+ (4G), which connects remotely to e:PROGRESS to schedule access to low-cost electricity. With a simple yet sophisticated design inspired by that of the Honda e, Honda Power Charger has been designed to create more value in the future with further intelligent charging services which interact with the grid.

e:PROGRESS will support active grid management to help stabilise demand and to optimise the use of renewables.

e:PROGRESS is the first service to be introduced by Honda’s new Energy Solutions division, a business unit recently established to offer a comprehensive portfolio of charging and energy management products and services to EV owners in Europe. Other projects in development include Honda Power Manager – a bi-directional vehicle-to-grid system which enables the collection and distribution of electricity between EVs and the grid to intelligently balance demand and supply of energy, and to make better use of renewables.

Jørgen Pluym, General Manager of Honda’s Energy Solutions division comments: “Introducing e:PROGRESS to the market is a significant statement of Honda’s ambition in the provision of energy solutions as part of the continued move towards electrification and the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. This unique and innovative service, our first energy solution for Europe, gives Honda e customers a highly-advanced intelligent charging solution offering considerable cost savings, while our partner Octopus Energy guarantees that 100% of its electricity comes from renewable sources.”

Further services under the e:PROGRESS brand will follow in Germany, with other European countries under consideration.