Mere months after announcing its expansion into several European markets, Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams (BYD) is making quick moves to get more of its EVs on streets overseas. German car rental company SIXT has just signed on to purchase around 100,000 EVs from BYD that will be available to rent in Europe beginning this year.
BYD is on a roll this week… actually this entire year. A few days ago, the Chinese EV automaker shared its September sales numbers, showcasing record highs for a seventh straight month and 161% year-over-year growth compared to 2021.
BYD’s new markets outside of China showed similar growth trends, despite the automaker only announcing entry into Europe this summer. BYD will sell three EVs in the EU to begin, including the Atto 3 priced under 40,000 euros.
SIXT has taken notice as well, and looks to be the first car rental company in Europe to offer BYD EVs. If you live in Europe and haven’t seen a BYD vehicle before, there’s a good chance you’ll see one on the road before the end of 2022.
SIXT and BYD sign purchase agreement for 100K EVs by 2028
According to a press release from SIXT, it will purchase “around 100,000” EVs from BYD to offer as rental vehicles throughout Europe. The first stage of the agreement includes several thousand BYD EVs that will be available to customers this quarter, beginning in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the UK.
This initial purchase will consist of Atto 3 c-segment SUVs, so European customers using SIXT can expect to rent those EVs first. The Atto 3 also features BYD’s unique blade batteries.
According to SIXT, its initial order for BYD EVs is the first phase of a six-year rollout that should total roughly 100K vehicles. This massive purchase agreement is part of the rental company’s strategy to electrify 70-90% of its fleet in Europe by 2030. SIXT SE’s chief business officer Vinzenz Pflanz elaborated:
SIXT offers easy-to-use, flexible, and limitless mobility to its customers every day. With over one million units produced from January to August 2022, BYD is the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer in the area of eMobility. The agreement with BYD is an important milestone to deliver on our promise of putting significantly more e-cars onto the street. We are very much looking forward to our cooperation with BYD.
Although SIXT’s current agreement for BYD EVs includes the EU and UK only, the companies relayed that they are already exploring potential opportunities to collaborate in different regions around the world. That could very well mean China and Japan, but probably not the US yet. Although SIXT operates in the United States, BYD does not sell passenger EVs there.
If they were to do so, it could make for some excellent competition, as SIXT’s car rental competitors like Hertz have already signed similar purchase agreements for EVs with automakers like Tesla and most recently, GM. Check back with Electrek soon to see what BYD is up to next, it’s sure to be something.
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
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