Honda e:Progress home charging makes European debut in UK

By Dominic Ellis
Central to the Honda e:Progress is a connected charger and advanced intelligent software developed by Moixa...

Honda is to debut e:Progress in UK homes - the first in Europe - with renewable electricity provided by Octopus Energy and charger ordering and installation available through British Gas' Local Heroes website.  

Charging is free for the first year, providing it is activated within six months of installation, and thereafter charged yearly at £52.

Central to e:Progress is a connected charger and advanced intelligent software developed by smart charging and aggregation specialist, 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.

Moixa’s software selects the most cost-effective times to charge 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 with standard flat tariffs.

These savings are based on an average household energy consumption of 4200 kWh per year plus the energy consumed by a Honda electric car travelling 8,000 miles per year (22 miles per day) with an efficiency of 4 miles/kWh, or 2000 kWh. 

Jørgen Pluym, General Manager of Honda’s Energy Solutions division, said introducing e:Progress reflects Honda's ambitious in the privions of energy solutions, in line with moves towards electrification and growth in EVs. The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides grants up to 75% (maximum £350) towards the cost of installing EV chargers at UK homes.

EV consumers want digital convenience

News of the Honda e:Progress roll-out coincided with an Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England 1,000-person survey on public chargepoints

It found widespread support for contactless credit and debit card payments, and being able to use one charge card (RFID card) or app across multiple charging network operators, and higher levels of reliability. It also highlighted the importance of the public charging network to those with off-street parking, with 92% of electric vehicle drivers relying on the public charging network at least once a month. 

Gill Nowell, a Director at EVA England and spokesperson, said with automotive manufacturers, fleets and businesses all now choosing to go electric, we need to improve the consumer experience at public chargepoints to take EV adoption mainstream. 

“We recognise that the pace of chargepoint deployment is increasing and that the infrastructure going in the ground today is greatly improved from that which was being installed even five years ago," she said. "However, we encourage Government to intervene now in order to ensure that all charging infrastructure is reliable, safe and user-friendly, across all driver groups."

The EVA England has made the following recommendations to Government: 

  • Chargepoints should offer a choice between three standardised payment methods: 1) A contactless credit or debit card 2) A ‘universal’ charge (RFID) card 3) A smartphone app
  • The Government should mandate that Charge Point Operators enable roaming and allow for drivers to use one app or RFID card on all networks.
  • Government should mandate a minimum amount of data that must be made open in a standardised format to EV drivers to better equip drivers to plan their charges along the public charging network. 
  • All prices for electricity sold at EV charging sites should be stated in pence/kWh.
  • Government should work with the EV chargepoint industry to establish a roadmap to mandate 99% reliability and 24/7 helpline availability within agreed timescales.
  • Standardised signage should be increased in terms of both number and visibility both at the site of the chargepoint as well as on a range of approach roads. 
Share

Featured Articles

Who is Greg Joiner, the new Head of Shell Energy?

Joiner will be formally be appointed as Shell Energy’s EVP on 1 April following a reshuffle of the division's top team

Watershed Workshop at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero

Hosted on Day 1 of Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero, Watershed’s session was overflowing with ideas that apply to supply chain decarbonisation

Capgemini Invent Workshop at Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero

Explore how Capgemini Invent's workshop on Day 1 of Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero delved into climate adaptation & social sustainability for futureproofing

Energy Highlights from Sustainability LIVE: Net Zero

Sustainability

Sustainability LIVE: Leading ESG and Net Zero

Sustainability

International Women’s Day: Women in Energy with Julia Souder

Renewable Energy