The Volkswagen Group is establishing a Group company, to be called Elli Group, to sell energy offerings and charging solutions to the domestic and commercial markets. This is intended to underline its strategic goal of becoming a leading provider of sustainable mobility. Elli GmbH has headquarters in Berlin and will develop products and services connected with energy and charging for the brands of the Group.
Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen brand board member responsible for E-Mobility: “As one of the world’s largest automakers, Volkswagen is going to force the pace of the urgently needed transport and energy transition to emission-neutral e-mobility. The new company will play its part with energy offerings from renewable sources and smart charging solutions. This way, we are entering a strategically relevant, extremely exciting business area that offers considerable opportunities for strengthening ties with existing customers as well as accessing entirely new customer groups.”
Thorsten Nicklass, the designated CEO of Elli, announced that the new Volkswagen Group company would also offer to customers outside the Group green power from renewable sources that was 100 % CO2-neutral. Nicklass, formerly CEO of the Digital Energy Solutions joint venture, said: “Our mission is to take e-mobility out of its niche and to place it firmly in the mainstream. The name “Elli” stands for “electric life”, because we intend to enable a lifestyle that fully integrates the electric car in people’s everyday lives. This approach could be compared with the use of a mobile phone, which is taken for granted nowadays.”
The company will gradually be building up a portfolio of intelligent power tariffs, Wallboxes and charging stations as well as an IT-based energy management system. Nicklass again: “We will be creating a seamless, sustainable ecosystem that addresses the main applications and provides answers to all the energy questions raised by electric car users and fleet operators.”
Up to the market launch of the Volkswagen ID., the first model based on the modular electric toolkit (MEB) in 2020, the company will successively roll out a number of solutions that private and commercial e-mobility customers need now and in the future – ranging from hardware, to charging, additional digital services and complete advice packages.
The services available will include green power for private households with and without an electric vehicle. Details of the first tariff models will be announced by the Group in the near future. 100% of the power offered will be generated from renewable sources and its origin will have been certified by TÜV.
