EDF and Volkswagen: Alliance for Electric Mobility

EDF and Volkswagen join forces to promote low-carbon electric mobility in France with innovative charging solutions.

EDF and Volkswagen Group France have officially announced a partnership to develop electric mobility in France. At the heart of this collaboration is the concept of smart charging, an intelligent charging technology. In practice, Volkswagen vehicles will charge during the hours when energy is both the least expensive and the greenest. And if electricity can be drawn from a renewable energy source, that’s even better.

This collaboration has already launched several initiatives. The first is the installation of photovoltaic self-consumption solutions at Volkswagen dealerships in France. The project is led by EDF ENR, a subsidiary of the EDF group specialized in renewable energy. These installations will allow dealers to produce their own electricity and thus reduce their carbon footprint.

The second initiative is based on the development of bidirectional smart charging through the EVVE project, funded by the European Union and led by EDF. This system would allow electric vehicles to play an active role in stabilizing the grid by returning energy when demand is high.

An innovative charging offer for clients

EDF and Volkswagen have also co-developed the Sowee smart charge solution for individual customers. This is designed for owners of Volkswagen vehicles with a home charging system. This offer includes a fixed-price electricity contract for two years, along with a mobile app. Users can schedule the charging of their vehicle according to their departure time. The app automatically adjusts the charging to off-peak hours and electricity price signals to maximize energy savings. By accumulating these savings and rewarding each kilowatt-hour charged, this solution allows users to benefit from up to 1,000 free kilometers per year.

This partnership represents a significant step forward in the shared vision of EDF and Volkswagen for sustainable and decarbonized mobility. EDF aims to accelerate the energy transition by supporting electric mobility, a key lever to reduce CO₂ emissions. For its part, Volkswagen pursues its carbon neutrality objective with its GoToZero plan. Both groups hope that this partnership will encourage more French people to choose electric vehicles.

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