Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is advancing its commitment to sustainable and affordable electric vehicle (EV) charging through a strategic collaboration with ev.energy, a smart EV charging software platform. This initiative exemplifies JLR’s broader innovation strategy, facilitated by its corporate venture capital arm, InMotion Ventures, which recently invested in the startup as part of efforts to integrate cutting-edge technologies into the company’s electrification goals.
Currently running a pilot scheme in the UK using 10 electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, JLR and ev.energy are testing the integration of ev.energy’s software with JLR’s connected vehicle platform. The software intelligently schedules charging times to align with grid-friendly periods that prioritise renewable energy. By doing so, it aims to reduce both charging costs and carbon emissions for customers. The pilot is poised to expand beyond the UK, with planned rollouts in the US and EU, reflecting ev.energy’s growing global footprint supporting over 120,000 drivers daily across more than 55 utility partners.
The benefits of this smart charging approach have already been demonstrated in various markets. In the UK, smart charging saved drivers an average of £166 and eliminated 489 tonnes of CO2e over a recent 12-month period—equivalent to the annual energy consumption of nearly 1,450 homes. Similarly, in California, the technology doubled overnight charging volumes and shifted significant daytime charging to off-peak periods when solar power is abundant, easing grid pressures and maximising renewable usage.
Swarna Ramanathan, JLR’s Chief Strategy Officer, emphasised the potential of such collaborations, stating that the partnership “is testament to the power of corporate-scale-up collaboration in unlocking fresh ideas to solve some of our industry’s biggest challenges.” She highlighted the joint effort to design and deploy a smart charging solution that meets the expectations of luxury EV customers while supporting the wider transition to electrification. Nick Woolley, CEO and Co-Founder of ev.energy, added that working with JLR offers valuable insights into how their Virtual Power Plant can support grids increasingly reliant on low-carbon supply while coping with rising EV demand.
This smart charging pilot builds on JLR’s history of embracing innovative charging solutions. For instance, back in 2019, JLR installed the UK’s largest smart charging facility at its Gaydon engineering centre with 166 connected outlets, supporting employees’ use of electric vehicles and integrating with a broader European charging network. More recently, JLR partnered with Plugsurfing to provide customers access to over 300,000 charging points across 27 countries, reflecting a comprehensive approach to expanding EV infrastructure and convenience.
The collaboration with ev.energy is part of a wider InMotion Ventures strategy to explore technologies that advance JLR’s sustainability ambitions. Beyond smart charging, InMotion Ventures has invested in Battery Resourcers, a company specialising in closed-loop lithium-ion battery recycling, supporting JLR’s target of achieving net zero carbon emissions across its operations and supply chain by 2039. Another portfolio company, Cesium Astro, is working with JLR on advanced in-vehicle connectivity to realise the potential of software-defined vehicles, indicating a holistic approach to innovation encompassing energy efficiency, connectivity, and sustainability.
Overall, JLR’s partnership with ev.energy signals a clear commitment to leveraging software-driven solutions to reduce the environmental impact and cost of EV ownership. By intelligently managing charging times and energy flows, this initiative hopes to benefit customers and the broader energy grid alike, fostering a more sustainable and economically viable path toward mass electrification in the automotive industry.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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