Chinese car brand BYD has teamed up with UK energy company Octopus Energy to launch a new all-in-one EV deal that sounds almost too good to be true: a car, a charger, and free charging – all from £299 a month.
Here’s how it works.
The deal, called the Power Pack Bundle, lets you lease a BYD Dolphin (a compact electric car) for £299/month. That might not be the cheapest lease on the market – you can find a Renault 5 for around £200/month elsewhere – but what makes this offer stand out is what you get included:
- A free bi-directional home charger (worth hundreds on its own)
- Unlimited free charging at home
This isn’t a one-off credit or a small discount. It’s proper free charging – thanks to some clever tech called vehicle-to-grid (V2G).
What’s Vehicle-to-Grid?
V2G means your car isn’t just a car – it’s a mini power station. When your car’s plugged in overnight, Octopus can take some of the energy from its battery and sell it back to the grid when demand is high. Then, during cheaper hours (usually late at night), your car gets fully recharged again – ready for the morning.
As long as you’re plugging in around 20 times a month for 12 hours at a time (basically overnight, every weekday), your charging stays free.
Octopus boss Greg Jackson called the tech a “game changer”, and BYD says it’s the next big step in showing how EVs can help power the world – not just get us from A to B.
Anything Else You Need to Know?
- The Power Pack Bundle will go live later this year, but you can register your interest online now.
- To be eligible, you need to drive under 12,000 miles a year, have a smart meter, and have single-phase power at home.
- If you already own a bi-directional EV, you can still get free charging through Octopus’ Power Pack tariff – you just won’t get the car and charger.
