BMW and E.ON, two of Europe’s leading companies in the automotive and energy sectors, have announced a partnership to launch a new smart charging service for electric vehicles (EVs). The “Connected Home Charging” service will launch in several European countries in the second half of this year, with a focus on smart charging at home.
According to the partners, this is the first cross-industry project of its kind in Europe, with a common interface that will connect electric vehicles, smart homes, and the energy sector. BMW will provide the vehicles and wall boxes, while E.ON will be responsible for ensuring sustainable energy tariffs and access to the energy market, which plays a key role in the intelligent control of charging processes.
The aim of the partnership is to encourage BMW customers to charge their EVs when electricity is cheap or when they can use electricity from their own photovoltaic system, thus reducing energy costs and improving the carbon footprint. However, the partners are also interested in exploring the potential of bi-directional charging, which could enable EVs to provide grid-supporting and stabilizing services as part of bidirectional charging.
To this end, the results of the joint research project “Bidirectional charging management – BDL” have already been incorporated into the development of the offer. BMW and E.ON will focus on the opportunities offered by bidirectional charging and its two central use cases: “vehicle to home” (feeding electricity from the high-voltage battery into the household) and “vehicle to grid” (feeding electricity from the high-voltage battery into the power grid).
According to Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, “together with E.ON, we will make the car an intelligent element of the smart home. This will bring more balance to the private energy ecosystem, with lower costs and an improved carbon footprint, and will enable smart integration into the energy market in the future”.
In conclusion, BMW and E.ON’s collaboration on smart charging is a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future, and it could pave the way for further advancements in the EV industry. With the launch of the “Connected Home Charging” service, BMW customers will have the opportunity to contribute to a cleaner and more efficient energy system, while also benefiting from reduced energy costs and a more convenient charging experience.
