Last week’s announcement by VW that it is setting up a company called “Elli” (short for Electric Life) offering energy services shows VW’s vision of what lies ahead for the automotive industry. It brings them head to head with Tesla and BMW who are already playing a role outside the traditional bounds of the car business. They are the new breed, ready to profit from customers who want to go electric as long as it makes financial as well as climate sense.
VW wants to “force the pace of the urgently needed transport and energy transition” says Thomas Ulbrich (board member responsible for E-Mobility). The new energy company “Elli” will deliver renewable energy sources and smart charging solutions alongside VW EVs.
They are not the first and it seems that once you make the transition to become an EV manufacturer, you see the advantage of going all in. It’s about energy as much as it’s about mobility.
People like electric vehicles
The conditions under which this announcement was made look absolutely right. Firstly, the EV market is in rude health. During…