Home EV charger provider Pod, formerly known as Pod Point, has launched a new, all-inclusive home charging subscription service that promises to ‘revolutionise’ home charging for electric vehicles in the UK.
Called Pod Drive, the aim is to give drivers a cheaper and more convenient way to charge their EV at home, slashing the up-front costs of installing a charger from £1,249 to £99, while rewarding customers with cashback on up to 7,500 “smart charged” miles per year, covering household electricity costs of charging their vehicle. Pod has outlined a number of benefits including:
- A unique EV charging subscription that gives busy households cost savings, convenience and choice.
- Cost savings – cuts over £1,000 in typical upfront costs for Solo 3S charger installation* and provides cashback on 7,500 “smart charged” miles per year.
- Convenience – installation, lifetime warranty and a 48-hour service guarantee.
- Choice – this plan works with any energy provider, plus the Solo 3S charger is compatible with any EV.
Pod Drive removes the high up-front cost of charger installation, a significant barrier to EV adoption, while giving subscribers control over their EV running costs. A £40 monthly subscription to Pod Drive includes a Solo 3S charger, installation and a 48-hour Service Level Agreement; providing a reliable, award-winning home charging system and total peace of mind. See table below:
In addition, Pod Drive helps customers to reduce the impact of EV ownership on household electricity bills through a form of cashback, Miles. By enabling “smart charging” with Pod Drive, customers will be rewarded up to 7,500 Miles of cashback per year, the equivalent of over £170.
How it works:
- Customers plug in normally at home, allowing Pod to “smart charge” their vehicles to meet a target charge level by a specified time, e.g. 100% by 7am.
- Customers pay their energy bill as usual with their chosen energy provider, as well as their Pod Drive subscription.
- Pod then provides cashback to customers to cover “smart-charged” miles at a rate of 2.3p per mile, rewarding drivers with as much as 7,500 miles per year, worth over £170.
The launch is the first new offering following Pod Point’s rebrand to Pod, as the business shifts its focus from chargers to providing charging services. Pod Point chargers will retain their product branding and sit alongside the Pod Drive proposition under the new Pod brand.
Pod CEO Melanie Lane said: “Pod Drive takes the hassle and complexity out of going electric and removes significant barriers in the form of upfront costs. As the original innovator in electric charging, we are constantly working hard to make life with an EV easy for drivers.
Our EV charging heritage means we are well placed to help households shift to clean energy in a way that also helps the UK’s electricity grid. Pod Drive is only the first of a number of everyday electrification propositions we are developing as we expand from providing chargers to helping busy households with all their charging needs. With over 250,000 customers already trusting us to be at the heart of their EV life, we see Pod playing a leading role in the UK’s increasingly electrified future.”
Pod is poised to unveil multiple partnerships with major retailers and brands to help unlock the next wave of EV adoption. In the short term, Pod plans to deepen its longstanding partnership with Tesco by syncing drivers’ charging experiences across home and public charging points. In addition, major OEMs such as Mazda are set to offer Pod Drive to their customer bases, providing even more incentives and options for consumers to go electric.
*1 With Pod Drive customers get a 7kW Solo 3S tethered unit (£1,149) as well as a surge protection device included (additional £100 cost to add this upfront).
