Arval brings Otovo on board for home charging with solar energy

Arval and Otovo want to use their cooperation to link the areas of electromobility and solar energy more closely. As a first step, the duo is launching a pilot project in which employees of Arval business customers can easily access a complete photovoltaic offer from Otovo – either for rent or for purchase. The process is embedded in existing structures, as Arval informs employees about the Otovo offer, and the transaction is then handled directly by Otovo or a certified Otovo partner company.

As an incentive, users receive a reimbursement for the amount of electricity charged at home at the household electricity rate and also reduce the electricity price per kilowatt hour with the PV system. “This significantly shortens the amortisation period of the solar system,” advertised Otovo, “on average by up to 30 per cent.” There are also advantages for companies: Home charging should lower the overall costs per vehicle and reduce the need for public charging points. What’s more, there is no extra work involved: Otovo claims to take over all communication and processing with employees.

“Innovative mobility doesn’t end with the vehicle – it starts with the energy source,” said Sébastien Valy, CEO of Arval Germany. “Our partnership with Otovo enables companies and their employees to live electromobility in all its depth and consistency. By combining electric vehicles with clean solar energy, we create sustainable added value – for the environment, for the economy and for the future.”

“In Arval, we have found a strong partner who, like us, is convinced that the energy transition starts on a small scale – namely at home,” added Andreas Thorsheim, founder and CEO of Otovo. The combination of electric car and solar system is the logical next step for many people.

The partnership is to be extended to markets outside Germany in the long term. According to Otovo, the aim is to initially establish the successful collaboration nationally and then gradually transfer it to other European countries. The integration of a financing solution in cooperation with Arval is also planned in the future. In addition to purchasing and renting, this should also make it possible to finance systems. The background to this is that Arval is part of the BNP Paribas Group and therefore operates close to the financial sector.

Otovo, on the other hand, specialises in solar systems and battery storage for private households. Founded in Norway in 2016, the company claims to have installed more than 30,000 solar systems in 13 European countries to date. Otovo describes itself as “a pan-European marketplace for solar systems and batteries for rent or purchase.”

Source: Info via email, arval.de (in German)