EDP Smart, the division that brings together EDP's energy solutions portfolio, has just launched the EDP EV application on the Brazilian market.Charge with the mission to simplify the electric vehicle owner experiências experience. The app facilitates the planning of recharges, allowing the visualization of EDP's public service recharge network, monitoring the recharge history and unblocking equipment for use from the cell phone.

The app also makes available, in real time, information on the status of charging stations (if there are vehicles charging, or if the equipment has any problem or limitation); map of charging stations (with location and opening hours); notifications about the progress of supply; monitoring of recharge history and support in case of doubts. In addition, it is possible to request the EDP EV.Card, a card that can also be used to start recharges at charging stations offline, in cases where the user does not have a cell phone available. The card is sent free of charge to the address selected by the customer.

The technology was developed by Voltbras, a startup focused on managing the recharge of electric cars, which received a contribution from EDP Ventures, the first venture capital vehicle in the Brazilian electric sector, enabling the process of building the "white label" platform used today by EDP Smart.  The development of the application took place through the concept of open innovation, with the integration of the EDP and Voltbras teams, working together to create cutting-edge technology, now available on the market.

“EDP understands that electric mobility will gain more and more relevance in Brazil, and that is why we seek to provide electric vehicle owners with the most complete journey of use of our electric stations. The partnership with Voltbras allows us to offer our customers a simple, fast and safe recharge experience”, says Nuno Pinto, Head of Electric Mobility and B2C Business at EDP in Brazil.

“Voltbras was born to create a solution that would serve, with excellence, the owners of electric cars in the country. The partnership with EDP Smart and the investment by EDP Ventures made this possible. Today, we have a team of developers with industry know-how that can best serve small and large companies with national technology, agility and openness to customization”, explains Bernardo Durieux, Founder of Voltbras.

To use the app, the user can download it from the AppStore or PlayStore and register. Then, when viewing the map, the driver can go to the desired electro-station, where he will find a QR Code or a six-digit numeric code on the screen, which must be entered to unlock the equipment through the app.

The EV. Charge was developed according to the concept of open innovation. This allowed EDP Smart and Voltbras to listen to the main demands of drivers, and to develop a service focused on improving the vehicle charging experience. Before the application, drivers had to access the EDP Smart website, register and receive a card at home to use the company's network. Now, all you have to do is have the EDP Charge on your smartphone and enjoy the service via cell phone, with the EDP EV.Card serving as a backup in cases where it is not possible to recharge the vehicle using the smartphone.

EDP currently has 50 active charging points in the country. By the end of 2022, the company expects to triple the charging points. Through EDP Smart, the company also sells residential electric chargers.

EDP and electric mobility

EDP has a global commitment to electrify 100% of its fleet by 2030, as well as to develop new offers and commercial solutions that promote the energy transition. In Brazil, the company has already made important investments in the sector. In 2018, it inaugurated an electric vehicle supply corridor between Rio and São Paulo. Installed along 430 kilometers of the Presidente Dutra Highway, the charging stations made it possible to make a complete trip by electric vehicle between the two most populous capitals in Brazil. At the end of 2019, EDP completed the installation of the largest electric vehicle recharging network in Espírito Santo, with the implementation of seven charging points distributed by the State.

In 2019, EDP presented, in Aneel's Public Call for Electric Mobility, projects that, together, represent an investment of around R$ 50 million, via Aneel's Research and Development Fund, its own and partner resources. The main one foresees the installation with 30 ultra-fast charging points that will cover the entire State of São Paulo and connect the main electric corridors in the country, connecting the capital of São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro, Vitória, Curitiba and Florianópolis and forming a corridor with more 2,500 kilometers long. This is the first and largest project in South America to install ultrafast chargers (150kw and 350kw), with an investment of R$ 32.9 million. The first of these was implemented in October and another 10 are planned by the end of this year.

EDP Ventures

Created in September 2018, EDP Ventures Brasil is the first venture capital vehicle of the Brazilian electric sector, with resources to be used for startups operating in six verticals: renewable energy, smart grids, energy storage, digital innovation (blockchain, IoT, big data, virtual reality), customer-focused solutions and cross-cutting areas (legaltechs, fintechs, HRtechs). Interested parties can access the website www.edpventures.vc for further details.

In addition to Voltbras, startups Time Energy, Colab, Dom Rock, Delfos, Fractal Engenharia and Clarke Energia have already received investments in Brazil. Since 2008, EDP Group's Venture Capital conduit s have invested 38 million euros globally in 33 startups, which together employ more than 1.200 employees and have more than 140 million euros of revenue per year.

To download the E.V Charge App

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pt.edp.evcharge.br

https://apps.apple.com/br/app/edp-ev-charge-br/id1538943600

About EDP in Brazil

With over 20 years of experience, EDP is one of the largest private companies in the electricity sector operating throughout the value chain. The Company, which has more than 10,000 direct and outsourced employees, has six hydroelectric and one thermoelectric generation units, in addition to operating in Transmission, Commercialization and Energy Services. In Distribution, it serves about 3.5 million customers in São Paulo and Espírito Santo, in addition to being the main shareholder of Celesc, in Santa Catarina. In 2020, it was elected the most innovative company in the electricity sector by the Valor Inovação ranking, of the Valor Econômico newspaper, and is a reference in Governance and Sustainability, having been on the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 14 consecutive years.

Follow EDP at: Website | LinkedIn