In China, BYD enters the sharing era with an innovative service that allows owners of private charging stations to rent them out to their neighbors. Imagine being able to charge your electric car while enjoying savings, all within the friendliness of your community!
A cutting-edge service
BYD introduces a new service aimed at making home charging of electric vehicles more efficient and shared. Through its official app, the manufacturer has launched a feature that allows BYD car owners to share their private charging stations with other users living in the same residential community. As electromobility gains traction, this service presents itself as a pragmatic solution to optimize the use of charging infrastructure.
For now, this service is available exclusively in China, but given the evolution of mobility models and digital services related to electric cars, we cannot rule out its possible arrival in Europe in the coming years. A taste of sustainable and collaborative mobility? Perhaps.
How it works
The idea was born from a very concrete need. Many home charging stations remain unused for a large part of the day, especially when owners are at work or away from home. Sharing these infrastructures allows for increased usage rates and, at the same time, generates additional low-cost income for those providing the charging point. It’s reminiscent of those parking spaces that, once freed up, could bring joy to a hurried neighbor.
On the other hand, those who do not have a private charging station can benefit from a more convenient and nearby solution compared to public stations, which are often more expensive and less accessible. Why search for a charging station miles away when your neighbor is right there to help you out?
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The operation of the service is quite simple and is done entirely through the BYD app. Once the dedicated services section is opened, the user can access the home charging station sharing feature, define their reference community, and view the available charging stations nearby. Owners and users can then exchange their contacts and directly agree on time slots and charging rates, without intermediaries or platform commissions. It’s a bit like a meetup between friends, but with a charging cable thrown in for good measure!
The benefits and other cases
One of the main advantages compared to public charging concerns costs. Domestic electricity generally has lower rates compared to high-speed or public charging stations, making this solution more advantageous. Essentially, why pay more to charge your car when you can do it for a fraction of the cost at home or at a neighbor’s?
It is also worth mentioning that “charging sharing” has already been considered by other Chinese brands, such as Nio and Xpeng. In these cases, the systems also support automatic payment management, with differentiated prices based on time slots and automatic billing at the end of the charging session. A system that could well appeal to our European neighbors in the future.
Thus, BYD’s service fits into a broader trend present in China, where the presence of electric cars has long been significant. With such an initiative, BYD proves to us that innovation and practicality can go hand in hand to improve our daily lives. The question remains whether this sharing revolution will cross borders to reach our regions!
