By most accounts, anxiety about charging is the #1 objection for potential EV buyers, so automakers are wise to do what they can to help facilitate both at-home and on-the-road charging for their customers.

Stellantis is addressing the issue with the launch of Free2move Charge, “a 360-degree ecosystem that will seamlessly deliver charging and energy management to address all EV customer needs.”

“As the pace of mainstream EV adoption accelerates, our customers need us to be more than just a mobility provider,” said Ricardo Stamatti, Senior VP of the new Stellantis Charging and Energy Business Unit. “We are taking the lead in establishing a dedicated business unit that will support our bold electrification strategy and act as a natural extension of our iconic brands.”

Stellantis customers “will be able to create a personalized package they can change and adapt at any time during the ownership experience, allowing it to evolve and always be tailored to their needs.”

This package has three parts:

• Free2move Charge Home offers installation and financing of home charging. In the future, the service will include Vehicle-2-Home, Vehicle-2-Grid and energy management systems.
• Free2move Charge Business is “a one-stop-shop platform with a full suite of charging and energy services” that will offer planning support, installation and maintenance for EV charging infrastructure.
• Free2move Charge GO offers access to public charging points through partners in North America and Europe. Future features include Plug and Charge, reservations, loyalty programs and mobile charging on demand.

Free2move Charge will be integrated with vehicle-branded mobile apps and the STLA SmartCockpit platform, which will be launched in 2024.

No more details are on offer at this point. Stellantis isn’t announcing any new public charging deployments, or any new charging features, so for now Free2move Charge sounds like basically a rebranding exercise. We’re always happy to see automakers pay more attention to charging, but there’s nothing new about offering package deals on home chargers, access to public charging networks, or turnkey services for business customers. It remains to be seen whether Stellantis will forge its own path in the charging field, or if it will eventually follow the lead of Ford, GM and the other automakers who’ve—for better or for worse—opted to outsource their charging services to Tesla.

Source: Stellantis