Pretoria, South Africa – Thursday, 17 July 2025 — In a progressive step toward greener mobility and smarter energy use, JLR has announced a pilot programme with smart EV charging platform, ev.energy, to trial intelligent vehicle charging solutions that could cut costs for clients while alleviating pressure on national energy grids. The collaboration stems from an investment made by JLR’s corporate venture capital arm, InMotion Ventures, in ev.energy — a move that reflects JLR’s broader Innovation Strategy to accelerate the transition to electrified luxury.
The pilot, currently underway in the UK, sees ten all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles equipped with ev.energy’s intelligent charging software. The platform integrates seamlessly with JLR’s connected vehicle systems to optimise charging based on grid demand, automatically shifting sessions to times when renewable energy is most available and electricity rates are lower.
The goal? A dual benefit of enhancing client experience while supporting grid stability and carbon reduction — all without compromising on convenience or luxury.
“Our work with ev.energy is testament to the power of corporate-scale-up collaboration in unlocking fresh ideas to solve some of our industry’s biggest challenges,” said Swarna Ramanathan, JLR Chief Strategy Officer. “Together, we are designing and deploying a smart charging solution that will meet our luxury clients’ expectations while easing the transition to electrification through efficient energy use.”
The Benefits of Managed Charging in Action
The pilot builds on ev.energy’s growing success in implementing grid-friendly charging solutions with over 55 utilities globally. In the UK, smart charging powered by ev.energy helped EV drivers save an average of £166 in the year up to May 2025, while avoiding 489 tonnes of CO₂e emissions — the equivalent of powering nearly 1,500 homes for a year.
In California, over the same period, ev.energy enabled more than double the overnight charging between 12am and 6am, and shifted up to 45% of daytime charging to times when solar energy was more readily available, demonstrating the global potential for smart energy management.
“This initiative is a prime example of how an automaker and a software provider can work collaboratively to deliver a convenient, high-quality proposition,” said Nick Woolley, CEO and Co-Founder of ev.energy. “By working with JLR, we’re not only helping reduce grid stress and make EV charging cheaper, but also learning how to scale our Virtual Power Plant concept across diverse, low-carbon grids.”
A Vision Beyond the Pilot
Following the UK pilot, JLR plans to expand the smart charging solution to the US and EU markets, enabling more clients to benefit from seamless, eco-conscious charging at home and beyond. This aligns with JLR’s Reimagine strategy, which includes a bold commitment to becoming carbon net zero by 2039 and offering a fully electric lineup by 2030.
The collaboration also demonstrates how InMotion Ventures is playing a pivotal role in shaping JLR’s future. In addition to its stake in ev.energy, the corporate venture capital arm has invested in Allye Energy, co-developing portable energy storage systems using second-life plug-in hybrid batteries, and Cesium Astro, which is pioneering next-generation in-vehicle connectivity — both forming key parts of the journey toward Software Defined Vehicles.
As the automotive world shifts rapidly toward electrification, JLR’s partnership with ev.energy showcases a sophisticated fusion of luxury, sustainability, and innovation — a testament to the brand’s evolving role as a leader in responsible mobility.
