ev.energy announced on 1 October 2024 a set of updates to its SOLAR product for drivers with home solar and an electric vehicle. The changes comprise a new Solar Smart mode, live solar inverter integrations, an in-app daily solar forecast and a refreshed app interface1.
Solar Smart mode was launched after what the company describes as months of testing. According to ev.energy, the mode automatically optimises the charging schedule to maximise solar energy during the day and tops the car up with off-peak grid energy at night1. The company says the mode is available in the app alongside Solar Only mode for drivers with an integrated Tesla or an integrated EVSE where the rate of charge can be varied. Drivers without that hardware setup can still use Solar + Grid mode1.
"This intelligent mode automatically optimizes your charging schedule to maximize solar energy during the day, as well as topping the car up with the cheapest and greenest grid energy during off-peak hours at night."
The inverter integrations let drivers connect their solar inverters directly to the ev.energy app. The company says support covers over 700 models, naming SolarEdge, Enphase and Growatt among the brands included, and that this hardware data improves the accuracy of its charging schedules1. The app also now shows a daily forecast of expected solar panel production, which ev.energy says helps drivers know when the car can be charged from solar generation1. The interface has been refreshed, which the company says makes it easier to see how solar power is being used to charge the car1.
ev.energy states that its SOLAR product has been available for three years and has helped drivers reduce emissions, cut energy bills and maximise the return on their solar investment from the app1. No pricing, subscription terms or eligibility restrictions for the new features are given in the announcement, and no figures for savings or generation are reported1.
| Feature | What ev.energy says it does |
|---|---|
| Solar Smart mode | Optimises charging to maximise daytime solar, tops up on off-peak grid energy at night1 |
| Solar Only mode | Remains available in the app for integrated Tesla or integrated EVSE setups1 |
| Solar + Grid mode | Available for drivers without that hardware setup1 |
| Inverter integrations | Direct connection of solar inverters, over 700 models supported1 |
| In-app solar forecast | Daily forecast of expected solar panel production1 |
| App interface | Refreshed design showing how solar power is used for charging1 |
Why it matters for households
For a home with both solar panels and an electric car, the value of the array depends on how much of its output is used on site rather than exported. Charging a car is one of the largest controllable loads in such a home, so the timing of charging determines how much self-generated electricity is consumed directly. ev.energy's stated aim with Solar Smart mode is to shift charging into daylight hours when the panels are producing, and to fall back on off-peak grid electricity at night1. That is a different approach from a fixed overnight charging window, which would miss daytime generation entirely.
The inverter integrations matter because charging schedules built on generation data from the hardware itself can respond to what the array is actually producing, rather than to an estimate. The company says this data is the most valuable input to its scheduling and that support spans over 700 inverter models1. The daily forecast adds a forward view, so a household can see expected production before deciding when the car is plugged in1. How these features work alongside a particular solar-aware charger or a specific inverter brand is not set out in the announcement.
What happens next
No dates, rollout stages or future releases are given in the announcement. ev.energy directs drivers to download or update the app, and invites businesses to contact its Director of Partnerships to arrange a demo1.