Volvo Cars is marrying up with energy firm Ovo and energy software business Kaluza to launch EV managed charging solutions in 2024.

The tie-up will be supported by the arrival of Volvo’s flagship EX90 electric SUV next year

Available to both Volvo and Ovo customers in the UK, the solutions will include one-way smart charging and bi-directional charging. This will be supported by the arrival of Volvo’s flagship EX90 electric SUV next year; the brand’s first car capable of bi-directional charging.

The solutions will enable Volvo drivers to save money on their EV charging using Kaluza’s algorithms to shift charging to the cheapest and most sustainable times – technology already used by Ovo Charge Anytime customers, who have saved over £2.8m so far this year, according to the firm’s figures.

The arrival of bi-directional ‘V2X’ charging services with Volvo will advance this, rewarding drivers for exporting surplus energy back to their homes and helping to balance the grid.

A three-year trial launched by Ovo and Kaluza in 2018 has already shown the benefits of V2G technology, with drivers saving an average of £420 a year on their household electricity costs – and up to £800 in some cases – offsetting the majority of their home energy costs.

Alex Thwaites, director of EV at Ovo, commented: “V2X is one of the most exciting developments coming out of the transition to electric vehicles. We know that the only way to achieve net zero is to create a smart energy system and flexibility will play a critical role in making that happen. EVs can provide huge amounts of flexibility but to make that a reality we need innovative partnerships such as this to unlock that massive potential, where we can use stored energy in EVs to reduce pressure on the grid, mitigate millions of pounds of infrastructure upgrades and reward customers for doing their bit.”

Neel Gulhar, chief product officer at Kaluza, commented: “Launching these kinds of managed charging services requires tight collaboration across retailers, OEMs and customers so we are thrilled to be orchestrating this new proposition with Volvo and Ovo. Over the last four years, Kaluza has proven the considerable cost and carbon savings potential of one-way charging – value which is multiplied several times over through V2X. We are excited to deliver these innovative services to Volvo drivers up and down the country and accelerate the energy transition together.”