OVO Energy and Volkswagen Unveil '10,000 Free Miles' Offer for New EV Buyers

Volkswagen Group UK has partnered with OVO Energy to provide a compelling offer for customers purchasing new electric vehicles (EVs) from Volkswagen brands, including Audi, CUPRA, SEAT, Škoda, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Starting today, customers can benefit from OVO's 'Charge Anytime' add-on, which offers up to 10,000 free miles of charging credit through the OVO Beyond service.

Under this partnership, Volkswagen customers can charge their EVs at home for just 7p per kWh at any time, with the add-on automatically optimizing charging when carbon emissions and power prices are at their lowest. Additionally, customers will receive a £212.12 credit upon purchasing a new EV and adding the Charge Anytime plan. For those who renew their plan annually, an extra 1,000 free miles of charging will be added for up to three years.

The offer translates to 10,000 free miles based on Volkswagen Group's average EV efficiency of 3.3 miles per kWh, requiring 3030.3kWh to cover the distance. With OVO's smart charging rate of 7p per kWh, the £212.12 credit should cover 10,000 miles.

Since its launch in 2022, the Charge Anytime service has reportedly saved customers over £10 million on energy bills. For those still driving diesel or petrol cars, OVO Beyond offers the chance to 'bank' miles for future EV purchases. Customers can accumulate an additional 50 miles on top of the 100 EV miles offered monthly for up to 24 months, which can be used when they switch to a new Volkswagen EV.

This initiative incentivizes the transition to electric vehicles and supports sustainable energy usage by optimizing charging times and costs.

"Following a thorough tender process, we were delighted to join forces with OVO to offer Volkswagen Group customers a solution for clean, affordable and simple energy," said Kate Jeffreys, electric vehicle lead for Volkswagen Group UK. "On top of our Ohme partnership for home charging, we believe the agreement with OVO breaks down more barriers for customers who are looking to make the switch to an electric vehicle.

"Buying, owning and driving an electric vehicle is simple and easy - and fun! We hope this latest addition to our holistic offering will be another attractive piece of the jigsaw for consumers."

Mat Moakes, chief commercial officer at OVO, said he looked forward to extending the firm's Charge Anytime service to more customers than ever before, helping consumers on their EV journey, and cutting costs and carbon.

"OVO is committed to helping customers transition to an electric vehicle," he said. "Together with Volkswagen Group we are rewarding customers for making the switch to an EV."

This initiative's launch follows OVO's introduction of its Charge Anywhere service in March, which provides access to over 34,000 public EV chargers in the UK at discounted rates. Available through the OVO Charge App, Charge Anywhere maps the availability of thousands of chargers across the UK and Europe from providers such as Ubitricity, Osprey, MFG, Shell Recharge, ESB, Allego, GeniePoint, Ionity, and FastNed.

OVO has pledged to help EV drivers save over £220 a year with its in-app 'Boost' plans, which are available to all EV drivers, not just OVO customers.

This announcement follows Volkswagen's plans to invest up to $5 billion in US-based EV manufacturer Rivian. This strategic move aims to position VW alongside specialist EV firms like Tesla and BYD. The investment will begin with an initial $1 billion, followed by an additional $4 billion by 2026. The deal will establish a new joint venture, allowing VW and Rivian to share technologies and accelerate the development of their EV portfolios.