Background

ENGIE Belgium, is leading the field in terms of the transition to a carbon-neutral future. With a customer base of millions of users, ENGIE Belgium is committed to promoting energy efficiency and sustainable solutions. To align with its mission and accommodate the growing popularity of EVs, ENGIE Belgium sought innovative ways to optimize energy usage while providing reliable and cost-effective services to its customers.

Challenge

As the adoption of EVs continues to rise and electricity prices remain high compared to two years ago, ENGIE Belgium recognized the need to address the unique energy demands of EV owners.  

Home charging for EVs poses challenges in terms of grid balance, energy cost optimization, and sustainability. ENGIE Belgium faced the challenge of providing EV owners with an advanced and convenient solution that not only incentivized cheaper charging but also supported a smoother integration of EVs into the electricity grid.

Solution

ENGIE Belgium partnered with Jedlix, to create a groundbreaking e-mobility offering. This solution included a whitelabel smart charging app tailored for ENGIE Belgium's customers. The app, known as ENGIE Drive, offered a suite of smart charging services to optimize EV charging.  

With the launching of Drive, ENGIE Belgium created a specific contract for EV Drivers: the Drive Energy Pack, which can be combined with the ENGIE Drive app. Whether opting for fixed, variable or Dynamic tariffs, the app activates charging sessions during the most cost-effective hours, taking into account departure times and desired range.  

Results

The success of Drive lies in its ability to address crucial questions that electric vehicle owners face daily. The uncertainty of charging at optimal times, ensuring cost-efficiency, maximizing solar energy utilization, and maintaining sufficient battery levels for upcoming journeys are challenges that EV owners encounter. With the ENGIE Drive app, all these concerns are managed effortlessly in an intuitive interface.

By combining the Drive app with the Drive Energy Pack, users - when smart charging - have the opportunity to not only save costs during charging sessions but also earn money for every kilowatt-hour charged. This innovative approach means that users can receive approximately 1 euro per charging session as a credit in the Drive app, which can be easily transferred to their account.  

By addressing the challenges posed by the increasing adoption of EVs, ENGIE Belgium successfully provided its customers with an innovative tool that promoted grid stability, cost efficiency, and sustainable energy practices. This partnership exemplified ENGIE Belgium's commitment to driving the transition towards a carbon-neutral future while delivering value to its customers.

“Through the ENGIE Drive app, we are enabling our customers to play an active role in the transition towards a carbon-neutral future while reaping the benefits of smart EV charging." – Guillaume Chicco, Product Owner Engaged Owner squad at ENGIE Belgium