Energy Web Announces Development of Renewable Energy EV Charging with Vodafone and Mastercard, Part of Vodafone’s New Economy of Things Platform
Newbury, England, and Zug, Switzerland, 28 February 2022 — Energy Web, the non-profit building operating systems for energy grids, has announced today a collaboration with Vodafone and Mastercard to develop a new “Economy of Things” (EoT) platform. The platform will allow verified connected devices on Vodafone’s Digital Asset Broker (DAB) to transact seamlessly and securely with full owner control. This includes electric vehicles (EV) transacting directly with charging points, as well as interactions between other vehicles, machines, and IoT assets, unlocking value from billions of devices.
The service went live in a trial of a connected EV communicating autonomously and securely with a charging point in Newbury, UK. This trial marks the first-ever showcase of a 100% clean energy charging solution for electric vehicles (EVs). The solution, which can be adapted to work with any charging infrastructure and any EV worldwide, including on-street chargers connected to the grid, will allow users to verify and prove that the energy used to charge their EV comes from renewable sources.
Jesse Morris, CEO of Energy Web Foundation, said: “Electrification is a major part of global decarbonization efforts. However, there’s currently no way for EV drivers to ensure that all the electricity used to charge their vehicles comes from renewable sources. As access to green energy solutions is democratized, this is sorely needed. Working with any on-street EV charger, our solution can give individuals and companies assurance of clean energy use — a real game changer for EV users and companies with electric fleets.”
The Green Charging application provides a transparent process for fractionalizing RECs allowing anybody to acquire proof that the energy purchased for charging is certifiably from renewable sources. Using a single application with an integrated mobile wallet, users can also pick the best-priced electricity based on location and charge time, and pay for it automatically. When an EV is plugged in, the car and charging station identify themselves using Vodafone’s network, while payments for the energy are made using Mastercard’s payment gateways. Proof of green charging is sent to the user’s smartphone by Energy Web, including the exact origin and energy type.
By giving drivers real-time information on the status and compatibility of the nearest available charging point, and carrying out the transaction effortlessly, Vodafone’s EV service will eliminate “range anxiety” — the fear experienced by EV drivers of running out of battery life. It also allows customers to consciously choose renewable electricity providers.
Johan Wibergh, Vodafone Chief Technology Officer, said: “We are building in-house new, scaled platforms for our customers across Europe and Africa. This, our latest platform, will drive the new Economy of Things where everyday objects and devices can negotiate, buy and sell services on our behalf. We are actively talking with many other companies to rapidly expand partnerships and widen the ecosystem worldwide to include other features and payment schemes.”
The service goes live today in a market-leading trial in which a connected EV communicates autonomously and securely with a charging point, in Newbury, UK. Working with Mastercard and Energy Web — a not-for-profit organization focused on decarbonizing energy grids — motorists are sent real-time information on the status and compatibility of the nearest available charging point and can authorize their vehicle to recharge effortlessly. Vodafone believes the platform will eliminate ‘range anxiety’ — the fear of running out of battery life — and enable customers to consciously choose renewable electricity providers.
This green-charging solution is planned to be rolled out at an enterprise level in the coming months — as a growing number of companies adopt new processes aimed at engendering transparency around energy reporting. Applied at scale, this application could service entire vehicular fleets, taxi firms, logistics companies, and haulage firms, with corporate customers integrating the application into their emissions reports as trustworthy proof that EVs used in their operations are powered by renewable energy.
Note to Editors
Leading Electric Vehicle (EV) trial with Mastercard and Vodafone
Vodafone DAB has been installed at its UK technology center in Newbury to demonstrate how motorists, using a single App with an integrated mobile wallet, can pick the best-priced electricity based on location and charge time, and pay for it automatically. Initially available on a smartphone or tablet, Vodafone DAB will become integrated into vehicles.
The service is compatible with any charging network which accepts Mastercard payments, thereby removing the current aggravation of having to install multiple apps depending on the dozen or so EV charging providers a motorist uses. Users are assured of the legitimacy of renewable energy sources since all vehicles or devices powered by Vodafone DAB are automatically entered into Energy Web’s system, which in turn provides an electronic provenance.
The system is ideal for fleet management companies, taxi firms, and road haulage firms, as it allows them to centralize all their charging requirements and even pass on unused electricity to another employee or road user. EV owners can take their home electricity tariffs with them, and roam onto overseas charging networks.
About Energy Web
Energy Web is a global, member-driven non-profit accelerating the low-carbon, customer-centric energy transition by unleashing the potential of open-source, digital technologies. Our Energy Web Decentralized Operating System (EW-DOS) enables any energy asset, owned by any customer, to participate in any energy market. The Energy Web Chain — the world’s first enterprise-grade, public blockchain tailored to the energy sector — anchors the EW-DOS tech stack. The Energy Web ecosystem comprises leading utilities, grid operators, renewable energy developers, corporate energy buyers, IoT / telecom leaders, and others.
