ELECTRIC CARS ENERGY

THE Volkswagen Group is intensifying its electric offensive by adding services that will simplify the charging process for electric vehicles.

In a few weeks, Volkswagen's customers will be able to get green power from a newly established company called Elli Group. Elli stands for electric life.

Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen brand  Board Member responsible for E-Mobility, says : ''As one of the world's largest auto makers, Volkswagen is going to force the pace of the urgently needed transport and energy transition to emissions-neutral e-mobility.

The new company will play its part with energy offerings from renewable sources and smart charging solutions.

This way, we are entering a strategically relevant, extremely exciting business area that offers considerable opportunities for strengthening ties with existing customers as well as accessing entirely new customer groups.''

The first product being offered by Elli is CO2 neutral green power from Volkswagen. The electricity is generated by  hydro-electric plants in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

It can be ordered on website elli.eco.

Elli plans to quickly offer other services after Volkswagen's green power makes its debut, according to Thorstein Nicklass, the CEO of Elli.

Right in  time for the launch of the ID, family, Volkswagen will work with Elli to offer  ''Volks-wallboxes'' that can be used to charge cars at home.

While the cars can be charged on the normal 230 V grid with 3.7 kilowatts [kW], the wall-box for the ID and other electric cars will work with charging power of up to 11kW.

If the power socket at home is designed for such power input, then the battery can be completely charged over night. ''With our wallboxes, anybody cans set up his or her own electricity charging station in the garage or carport,'' Nicklaus says. [CDRinfo]