Electric vehicles (EVs) are at the heart of the energy transition, but the way we charge them is just as crucial. A recent study by Neon Neue Energieökonomik, commissioned by fellow Smart Meter Initiative member Rabot Energy, highlights the financial and grid benefits of smart EV charging and participation in Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) for intraday trading. The findings are clear: EV owners can reduce their charging costs by up to 68% by combining day-ahead optimization, intraday trading, and time-variable network charges.

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At Ostrom, we’re already enabling these savings with our Smart EV Charging feature and the NeoGrid Virtual Power Plant (VPP), helping EV owners optimize charging and maximize grid participation.

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Key Findings from the Neon Study

The study examined how intelligent charging strategies, dynamic electricity pricing, and, hypothetically, bidirectional charging (if implemented in the future) could impact EV costs. Here’s what they found:
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• EVs only require about 30 minutes of daily charging, allowing significant flexibility in shifting charging to low-cost hours. A typical electric vehicle household with an annual charging consumption of 1584 kWh has average charging costs of €475 per year.
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• Day-ahead optimization via HEMS (Home Energy Management System) can reduce costs by 33%, lowering annual charging expenses from €475 to €318
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• Intraday price optimization through VPP participation can reduce costs further by 50%, bringing them down to €238 per year
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• Adding time-variable network charges (effective April 2025) results in total savings of up to 68%, cutting annual charging costs to €152
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• If all measures and savings potentials are fully utilized, total savings could theoretically reach 84%, further enhancing financial benefits

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These insights reveal the untapped potential of smart charging. But how can you take advantage of these savings today? This is where Ostrom’s Smart EV Charging and NeoGrid VPP come in.

Maximizing Your Savings with Ostrom Smart EV Charging

The Ostrom Smart EV Charging feature is designed to help EV owners leverage the very strategies recommended in the Neon study:
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✅ Automatically charge when electricity prices are lowest – Our system syncs with your EV and dynamically adjusts charging times based on wholesale market rates.
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✅ Seamlessly integrate with your home energy system – Whether you have solar panels or a home battery, our platform ensures efficient energy use.
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✅ Avoid peak grid charges – With the upcoming introduction of time-variable grid tariffs, our system ensures you only charge at the most cost-effective times.
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By using Ostrom’s smart EV charging solution, you can cut charging costs by up to 50% today, with even greater savings once new grid pricing models come into effect.

Turning Your EV Into a Money-Making Asset with NeoGrid VPP

While smart EV charging helps you save, joining a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) like Ostrom’s NeoGrid VPP allows you to earn additional income from the electricity market. A VPP aggregates energy resources, such as EV batteries, to create a network of flexible storage capacity, which is then used to stabilize the grid and participate in intraday energy trading.
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Ostrom is leading the way as Germany’s first EV-focused Virtual Power Plant, allowing EV owners to benefit from wholesale electricity price fluctuations while ensuring grid stability. By participating in the NeoGrid VPP, you can:
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✅ Earn a share of intraday trading revenues – Our platform optimizes when to buy and sell energy, ensuring you receive passive income from grid services.
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✅ Stack savings on top of smart charging – Combine day-ahead scheduling with intraday trading to optimize both savings and earnings.
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✅ Strengthen the power grid – By providing flexible energy storage, your EV helps smooth out supply and demand imbalances, increasing grid resilience and stability.
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This means that, instead of just consuming electricity, your EV becomes an active part of the energy market, helping to drive the clean energy transition while maximizing your financial benefits.

How Much Can You Save?

The potential financial benefits of smart charging and VPP participation are significant. According to the Neon study:
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• 33% savings from day-ahead price optimization (HEMS), reducing costs from €475 to €318.
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• 50% savings from intraday price optimization (VPP), further lowering costs to €238.
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• 68% total savings when adding time-variable network charges, bringing the cost down to €152 per year.
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• Theoretical maximum savings of 84% could be achieved if bidirectional charging were implemented in the future.

Regulatory Support: The Missing Piece

While technology and energy providers like Ostrom are ready, regulatory adjustments are needed to fully unlock the potential of Virtual Power Plants and dynamic pricing. The study recommends:
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📢 Scaling smart meters to enable real-time pricing and dynamic load management.
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📢 Encouraging regulations for VPP participation, making it easier for EV owners to benefit from wholesale market fluctuations.
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📢 Promoting dynamic tariffs, ensuring customers can optimize their charging behavior while benefiting from energy market participation.
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Ostrom is actively working with policymakers and industry partners to push for these changes, ensuring that EV owners can access the full economic and environmental benefits of smart charging and VPP participation【12†source】.

Get Started Today with Ostrom’s Smart EV Charging & NeoGrid VPP

The Neon study provides powerful insights into the future of EV charging. But why wait for the future when you can start saving and earning today?
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💡 Sign up for Ostrom’s Smart EV Charging to cut your charging costs and optimize energy use.
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💡 Join NeoGrid VPP to turn your EV into a power-generating asset and maximize your earnings.
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🚀 Learn more and get started here: Ostrom Smart EV Charging & NeoGrid VPP
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With Ostrom, energy isn’t just better—it’s smarter, greener, and more profitable. 🔋⚡