Powering Honda's electrification plans with e:PROGRESS

Gridshare is the intelligence behind Honda’s smart charging solution

Electric vehicles will play a vital role in supporting the world’s efforts to reduce emissions and fight climate change. With nearly 323 million EVs globally predicted to be on the road by 2040, this transition could bring significant benefits to the energy system, enabling the transport sector to move away from fossil fuels and improving air quality in towns and cities.

To support the transition to net zero, Honda, a Japan-based multinational automobile company, was committed to accelerating its electrification plans in the UK and Europe and offering real value to EV owners.

Traditional EV chargers simply start charging whenever they are plugged in and result in motorists paying peak prices unnecessarily. EV drivers who wish to make the most of flexible energy tariffs on the market to maximize their savings would need to monitor costs themselves and set charge schedules accordingly.

In order to drive greater EV adoption and make customers’ lives easier, Honda wanted to offer their customers a smart charging solution that optimizes charging and simplifies the charging process. This would enable the company to unlock financial benefits to EV owners while allowing more renewable energy on the grid and helping keep it stable.

Gridshare software was pivotal in supporting Honda’s mission. Our collaboration led to the launch of e:PROGRESS, an intelligent home EV charging offer for Honda e customers in the UK.

Our solution

By using our Gridshare technology, e:PROGRESS enables UK customers to benefit from the lowest-cost electricity prices while also optimizing the use of electricity from renewable sources by integrating with renewable tariffs — such as Agile Octopus and Octopus Go — from UK-based clean energy company Octopus Energy.

Our Gridshare software autonomously selects the most cost-effective times to charge the vehicle based on dynamic price changes of the time-of-use tariff while ensuring that the Honda e is always adequately charged when needed.

Customers simply need to input when their vehicle is available to charge and when they need it to be ready. They can change their charging schedule at any time through the app. e:PROGRESS fits their lifestyle, so the vehicle is charged to fit their schedule and needs.

Honda e drivers can save up to £400 per year by using e:PROGRESS intelligent charging*.

Moving towards an electrified future

Gridshare is essential to ensure that EV uptake not only brings financial benefits to the driver but also supports balancing the increase in demand for energy from the grid.

We’re really excited to be at the forefront of the energy transition. We are looking forward to supporting Honda to further expand e:PROGRESS proposition in other countries as part of the move towards electrification and widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

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About Honda

Honda is the largest engine manufacturer globally, and the business comprises more than 500 companies with 134 production facilities in 28 countries, plus another 31 R&D centers in 15 countries.

Honda designs, develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells cars, motorcycles, and marine engines, to name just a few.

Since its founding, Honda has continuously worked to provide a variety of values from a high perspective, aiming to create a better society through its technologies, ideas, and designs. Honda is committed to setting and achieving high standards in sustainability as well.

“The introduction of e:PROGRESS marks a key milestone for Honda in the development of our Energy Management business here in Europe, bringing together all of our work to date to offer real value to EV owners. This is our first move into a service business model in the energy space, and we are committed to continuing to invest and develop in this area as part of the move towards electrification and widespread adoption of electric vehicles.”

– Jørgen Pluym, Energy Management Project Leader
Honda Motor Europe