AGL upgrades EV charging plan in bid to engage electric drivers

The Driven

Australian energy and gas major AGL has launched a new plan that could see electric vehicle drivers earn credits towards their electricity bill, which it says will help reduce household costs and offset the higher purchase price of electric cars.

Under the “AGL Electric Vehicle Plan”, households that have at least one electric vehicle (EV) registered would gain up to $480 worth of credits towards household bills over two years, with locked in rates for that period and the ability to offset household carbon emissions.

Households that have rooftop solar are also eligible for the plan, which AGL says could households save 25% in electricity costs based on an average customer in Sydney postcode 2000 using 3800kWh of energy a year.

AGL chief customer officer Christine Corbett says the plan is aimed at taking the pressure off households who have made the step towards zero emissions living by investing in an electric vehicle.

“This new plan allows our customers to make the most of their investment in electric vehicles while taking the pressure off their running costs and the environment,” Ms Corbett said in a note by email.

Although reduced maintenance and power cost of electric vehicles mean that the overall cost of ownership is creeping towards that of ICE vehicles, the higher purchase price of EVs has often been cited as a barrier to uptake to EVs by a number of studies.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…