David Martell, founder and former CEO of Chargemaster, has formed a new British company, EVIOS, which has launched an electric vehicle home charger.
The EVIOS One features a jargon-free user interface, the largest colour screen of any home charger, and a smartphone app that allows users to configure each charge to suit their needs and preferences – prioritising low price, enhanced sustainability or high speed. Users can easily see exactly how many miles have been added in each charging session, and the cost.
The EVIOS One can integrate with home energy tariffs to charge during off-peak times to significantly reduce running costs, and it can be paid for via interest-free monthly instalments, helping to make EV ownership a viable option for more motorists. There is also an all-inclusive package that includes the cost of installation.
The EVIOS One is the first unit of its kind to support separate user profiles, making it an ideal option for shared residential or business parking areas, or homes with more than one EV. Unique in the sector, access to the EVIOS One is protected via PIN to prevent unauthorised use, and up to eight profiles can be stored.
The EVIOS One is fully internet-enabled to enhance the ownership experience. Via the app, users can access and control charging when away from the unit itself, and there are ‘push’ notifications (via the app or email) so users can be kept updated on key details relating to their charges. In addition, over-the-air updates ensure users always have access to the most up-to-date functionality and features. The EVIOS One even connects with Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices, allowing users to adjust settings and review charge status via voice commands.
Owners and users of the EVIOS charge point can download detailed reports outlining their energy use and expenditure – tailored for time periods of their choosing – to help keep a track of outgoings. Meanwhile, business users can easily generate summaries for expense claims based on individual users or individual vehicles – ideal if there are different EVs being run by the same household.
While managing running costs will be key for many, those keen to minimise the environmental impact of their motoring can select the EVIOS One’s ‘Pure Green’ setting, which interacts with solar or wind power sources attached to the home to deliver zero-emissions charges.
The EVIOS One installation process is simplified with access to the company’s own team of qualified installers around the UK, and new customers can book an installation quickly and easily via the EVIOS website
EVIOS is a British company, and the new home charger is designed, manufactured and shipped from a new purpose-built production facility in Stewartby, Bedfordshire. The decision to produce the EVIOS One in the UK supports a strategic objective by the company to minimise the financial and environmental cost of delivery for UK motorists.
The launch of this new advanced home charging product comes at a time when the government has announced that all new homes and refurbished apartment blocks must have charging points from later this year, and that from 2030 all new cars must be electric. This will mean that the majority of the 10 million UK dwellings with driveways or associated parking areas are likely to be fitted with home chargers.
EVIOS is the brainchild of David Martell, who was founder and CEO of Chargemaster, which went on to become the UK’s largest EV charging network and was acquired by bp in 2018. Martell was also an advisor on EV infrastructure to the Department for Transport from 1995 to 2000. He has unrivalled experience and knowledge of the EV sector in the UK – with extensive contacts within car manufacturers, energy suppliers, established infrastructure businesses, local authorities, installers and component suppliers. As EVIOS’s CEO, Martell has already gathered a highly capable management team with combined EV industry experience of over 25 years.
“For EVs to be adopted by millions more UK motorists, they should be at least as easy to own and run as ICE vehicles,” Martell comments. “Much attention is given to developing the quality and quantity of public charge points, but the majority of charging will need to take place at homes.
“We evaluated all of the existing home chargers on the market and saw that too often they are hard to understand and control, and we believe this will put many off the idea of buying an EV in the first place. From the outset we have sought to provide a unique combination of intuitive functionality and low running costs, helping to make EV ownership more hassle-free,” he concludes.
Keyword: Former Chargemaster CEO launches home charger