Charge your Tesla or BMW i3 for $1 a day

Australian electricity company AGL Energy will offer customers with electric vehicles (EVs) such as Tesla’s Model S unlimited charging for $1 a day. The new $365-a-year plan will hit the road November 1^st .

If you find yourself behind the wheel of an EV currently on the market, from the high-end Tesla Model S or BMW i3 to the affordable Nissan Leaf or Toyota Prius hybrid, you’re in luck. The company is dedicated to boosting electricity demand, stating it would supply power to a customer’s car charger or potentially provide a charger if the driver doesn’t have one. Currently EV chargers cost about $1,000. 

Charge your EV for $1 a day starting in November.

According to chief executive of AGL, Andy Vesey, and as reported by the Australian Financial Review , the electricity supplied to EVs under the offer will be fully carbon offset, meaning the company will plant trees or invest in other carbon offsets in Australia to match the carbon dioxide emissions.

“For a dollar a day if you have an electric vehicle and you have an AGL smart meter and a charger, you can get energy for that car for $1 a day, as much as you like,” Vesey said. On Twitter, he confirmed the news that the deal will be available this upcoming November.

Vesey said AGL is looking at a range of new services to add to the traditional electricity supply business which is flatlining as more households add solar panels, energy efficient appliances, and increasingly batteries and smart meters to reduce their reliance on the centralized grid. According to Vesey, the company chose South Australia because of the problems with its network stability and price volatility caused by having the highest penetration of renewable energy, at more than 40%, of any state.

AGL committed to having 10% of its fleet in EVs or hybrids by 2018. The initiative comes as traditional electricity suppliers tussle with speedy changes in technology, consumer preference, and government regulation.

Source: Australian Financial Review