Renault Turns French Villages into Electric Villages with Plug Inn App

Renault has launched a new platform - Plug Inn – that will enable up to 475,000 additional electric charging points, thanks to communities of local people.

Plug Inn partners with a community of people who welcome you to charge your electric vehicle in their homes. The community is based within remote regions to solve the issue of a stronger charging infrastructure and alleviate concerns around ‘fear of charging’, the most common obstacles for using electrical vehicles.

Making the switch to all-electric even easier

As the leader in electric vehicles in France and Europe for the past 10 years, Renault is a pioneer in raising awareness of the challenges of sustainable mobility. In 2020, the company had already created the first 100% electrical village in France. By making 100% electric Renault Zoé E-Tech cars available to every household in the commune of Appy, the company proved that if it was possible to switch to electric vehicles in one of the most isolated communities in France, then the switch to electric vehicles would be possible everywhere.

With Plug Inn, a new chapter in mobility begins, in line with Renault's long-term vision. The peer-to-peer service is designed to make life easier for electric vehicle users and enable the deployment of electric mobility on a large scale, for everyone regardless of how isolated the destinations may be.

Always one step ahead

As the sales of electric vehicles (EVs) increase worldwide, particularly in France, the demand for recharging infrastructure is significantly growing. However, by 2030, the growth in demand for electric vehicle charging in Europe (33% CAGR) will exceed the growth in public supply (25% CAGR).

Given ‘The fear of charging’ remains one of the main obstacles for transitioning to electric vehicles, Renault is creating a platform, through the power of the people, to increase the number of accessible charging stations and facilitate access to them.

Imagine: you're planning a road trip to Finistère for a few days. You haven't had time to look charging stations map in the region. When you arrive, you can't find a charging station near your destination. What if a simple app allowed you to locate and benefit from the home plugs of electric vehicle users in the area? 

With the launch of Plug Inn, the community could represent up to 475,000 individuals, corresponding to the number of residential charging points recorded by expert reports in France. 

Aligned with Renault’s vision to push boundaries in the EV field, Plug Inn introduces a radically different way of thinking about mobility. Previously, it would require a visit to a petrol station to get energy but today, Renault will make it able to charge vehicles directly at homes, creating a model of new sociability, self-help, and energy efficiency.

"We must ensure that the enthusiasm for electric vehicles is never disappointed by structural constraints. On the contrary, building a community of individuals is a great opportunity to create new development models based on the values of sharing, self-help, and the circular economy.” Explains Arnaud Belloni, global chief marketing officer.

In concrete terms, how will it work?  

• The Plug Inn recharging solution will address the most complicated moments that electric vehicle drivers may encounter, such as reserving a recharging point, locating it, or planning a route to access it.
• Plug Inn builds on Renault's European leadership in this area to create a unique asset to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and improve the driver's experience by enabling them to:

- Search for and reserve private electric vehicle charging stations that meet individual mobility and flexibility needs

- Access seamless and reliable charging experiences and exchanges between individuals in the same network.

- Increase the use of electric vehicles for all types of mobility needs (daily routines or leisure).

• The service also adds value to the owners of the charging stations, allowing them to: 

- Generate income and be profitable by sharing their charging stations with other individuals

- Provide tools and advice such as a financial simulator to help them understand their potential income and profitability; payment methods and access to a financial dashboard; and possibly discounts on charging stations via subsidies or rentals.

For owners of charging points and users of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, the Plug Inn experience starts now, on 12th May 2022.