OVO Energy and Mitsubishi forge net-zero transport partnership

The energy company’s EV Everywhere platform enables drives to choose from a free charger or a two-year fixed energy plan to procure 100% green energy

Details of the partnership are yet to be revealed, but both firms have claimed they will “explore innovative” solutions to help decarbonise the transport sector. The sector overtook the power industry as the most emitting UK industry in 2016, rising by 2% for the second year in a row.

The sector is viewed as a key challenge in the bid to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and the energy and automotive firms have developed a new partnership to assist with the required decarbonisation.

The two firms consider electric vehicle (EV) integration as key to this acceleration. However, the UK “lags behind” other European countries on EV charging infrastructure.

OVO Energy’s director of EVs Tom Pakenham said: “Electrifying transport represents one of the biggest opportunities for like-minded businesses to work together and offer competitive greener solutions to their customers.”

“We’re delighted to partner with Mitsubishi Motors to explore innovative and exciting ways to benefit our customers and the environment.”

Plan Zero

In September, OVO Energy published its first sustainability strategy, including plans not only to reach net-zero in its own operations 20 years ahead of the Government’s deadline but to mobilise society in collective climate activism.

OVO’s ‘Plan Zero’ is divided into two key focus areas: power and people. One the former, the firm is aiming to achieve zero-carbon operations by, fit low-carbon and flexible energy technologies for five million homes and “fight the climate crisis” – all by 2030, and all in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The energy company’s EV Everywhere platform enables drives to choose from a free charger or a two-year fixed energy plan to procure 100% green energy. On the other side of the partnership, Mitsubishi’s Outlander plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) has been the world’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle, since 2014. A survey from the firm found that 90% of its customers charge their vehicles at least two times a week

Mitsubishi Motors’ UK managing director Rob Lindley said: “OVO Energy and Mitsubishi Motors are ideally matched because both companies offer their customers the ability to take practical steps towards a greener future in a useful and pragmatic way.”

“By joining forces, we will not only encourage even more people to accelerate their decarbonisation ambitions, we will also make it more convenient, affordable and practical for them to do so than ever before.”

The announcement is the latest example of energy and automotive companies reaching out, cross-sector, to develop innovative new solutions to the low-carbon challenge.

Nissan and EDF have signed an agreement to collaboratively develop and launch a “smart” EV charging package for businesses, including vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capacity.

The move from Nissan and EDF Group comes after the two firms signed their first collaborative agreement, around energy storage and renewable energy generation solutions in the EV space, last year.

Matt Mace