Integrated heat pump/EV charger offerings coming to UK market

First is a service that includes the car. Previewed at an Octopus Energy event in June, and launching later this year, is the Power Pack Bundle, which includes a leased BYD Dolphin EV hatchback, a bi-directional Zaptec Pro charger and access to a smart tariff that offers free home charging.  

Pricing is promised to be under £300 a month. Octopus Energy says that typical EV drivers can cut annual bills by £620 compared to charging on a standard tariff – and save nearly £1,000 compared to fuelling a petrol car (based on average driving distances of 7,500 miles per year).

Octopus explains that vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology transforms EVs into ‘batteries on wheels’, allowing them to charge when electricity is cheap and send it back to the grid at peak times when electricity is expensive.  

This is said to be the first time V2G technology is built into the car itself, instead of a separate first-generation V2G charger. Octopus launched its own EV business, Octopus Electric Vehicles (Octopus EV), in 2021.  

Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy Group, said: ‘Bi-directional charging is the game-changer for drivers and the grid. By using some of the battery’s spare capacity to help balance the grid, we can offer free driving. V2G is going to revolutionise our energy system and help drive costs down.’

In other news, the company has also launched its own-branded EV charger, which upon launch in August will initially offer smart integration with the company’s EV tariff Intelligent Octopus Go. The system is said to charge automatically when electricity is at its cheapest and greenest. ‘All customers have to do is set a charging time and amount, and the smart tech does the rest,’ it said.

Elsewhere, heat pump manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric has partnered with Irish tech company EVHACS to launch what it calls the world’s first integrated heat pump and electric vehicle (EV) charger.

This collaboration merges Mitsubishi Electric’s heat pump and air conditioning systems with EVHACS’ EV charging technology. The offering creates a single, compact unit capable of both heating and cooling spaces and charging EVs.

The integrated system, it is said, will allow homeowners, property developers and commercial operators to simplify their infrastructure by combining two vital energy technologies in one. This results in reduced installation complexity, faster deployment, lower total system costs and minimal impact on building aesthetics, according to Mitsubishi.

By intelligently sharing available electrical capacity between heating, cooling and EV charging functions, the system helps prevent overload, avoids costly grid upgrades and ensures optimal performance even during peak demand. A key advantage is said to be the ability to dynamically balance electrical loads between the heat pump and the EV charger. Mitsubishi reports that this means the system never draws more power than the available supply can handle, helping to prevent overloads or the need for costly electrical panel or grid upgrades. It also supports participation in demand-side management and future smart grid applications.

‘Customers are looking for smarter, simpler ways to adopt low-carbon technologies,’ said Ciaran Moody, President, Mitsubishi Electric Ireland. ‘By partnering with EVHACS, we’re creating a solution that delivers on both convenience and sustainability. It’s a major leap forward in how we think about the connected home and workplace.’