Pod Drive is new, so you’re bound to have questions. We’ve got you.
Your questions answered
To be eligible for Pod Drive you need to have a stable Wi-Fi connection. This is so we can ensure your car is always charged at the cheapest times, and to send any remote firmware updates to keep your charger up to date.
As the use of renewable energy in our energy system increases, we can help balance demands on the grid by adjusting energy usage to match the peaks and troughs of wind and solar generation.
All you have to do is plug in your car and we’ll do the rest - ensuring your car is always charged when your energy prices are cheapest.
Whenever you smart charge, you'll be using your Pod Drive inclusive miles allowance.
You can override any smart charging using our Boost feature, which will charge your car straight away.
Any charging sessions completed using the Boost feature aren't smart charged and therefore won’t use your Pod Drive inclusive miles allowance, and are not eligible for cashing out.
Simply set the time of day when you’d like your vehicle charged by, and what % you want your battery to be charged to when you first set up your app. You can always change these settings whenever you need to. Every time you plug in, we'll automatically work-out the cheapest time to charge your car, based on your energy tariff, to make sure it’s ready for when you need it.
We connect to your car automatically and calculate how much energy is needed to ensure you reach the charge target set in your car manufacturers app.
The Pod Point Solo 3S charger is designed to integrate with solar energy, allowing you to charge directly from your home solar setup.
The Solo 3S includes built-in solar integration that lets you charge your EV using just excess solar power or a combination of solar and grid electricity.
You can choose from different solar charging modes through the app: - Solar Only – uses only surplus solar generation - Solar + Grid – uses solar first, then tops up from the grid if needed
These options help you maximise renewable energy use and minimise cost and carbon impact.
Any EV charging completed using electricity from solar will not accrue miles from your inclusive miles allowance.
We currently support all single or two rate energy tariffs. If you are on a Smart Tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go, Octopus Intelligent Drive Pack, Octopus Agile, OVO Charge Anytime, Scottish Power EV Optimise, or other similar smart electricity tariff that is not a single rate or two-rate tariff, then unfortunately you can’t subscribe.
As part of your Pod Drive all-inclusive subscription you will be given an annual inclusive miles allowance. This allowance starts from the day your Pod Point is installed.
Each time you successfully complete a smart charge, you will use miles from your allowance. Miles used can be tracked in our app in your Wallet and withdrawn to your bank account once your balance is above £10.
You will still need to pay your energy supplier for your electricity as normal.
Each inclusive mile is currently based on an EV achieving 3.5 miles per kWh and charging with an off-peak rate of 8.05p per kWh - equivalent to 2.3 pence per mile.
You will still be able to charge your vehicle if you've used all of your inclusive miles allowance within a 12 month period. You won't receive any further cash rewards during that time. Your inclusive miles allowance will reset again on the anniversary of your Pod Point being installed.
Yes. There is no limit to the number of cars you can add.
Yes they can. They will need to connect their vehicle to your app, enabling us to smart charge that vehicle.
Your inclusive miles allowance resets after 12 months, from the anniversary of your Pod Point being installed. Any unused miles will expire if they aren't by the end of the 12 month period.
You reserve the right to cancel your agreement with us within 14 days of signing it (the cooling off period). Outside of that, please refer to your agreement terms or give us a call on 0207 247 4114.
We can offer options to ensure you can continue with your Pod Drive subscription seamlessly. Just call our support team when you know you're moving date, and they will discuss your options.
If you're having issues with your charger, give us a call on 0207 247 4114.
9 out of 10 issues can be fixed remotely to get you back up and running. Failing this, if it's a problem with our charger or it's installation, once we have diagnosed the issue, if needed, we'll book one of trusted engineers to come and fix the problem within 48 hours, for as long as your subscribing to Pod Drive.
For more information about what is covered by our warranty, see our warranty statement here.
If we can't get to you within 48 hours of an engineer visit being identified, we'll provide you with credit for our extensive public charging network and direct you to your nearest public charge point.
The £99 is a one-off fee that we charge for an assessment to determine if we can install a Pod Point at your home which can benefit from Pod Drive.
If we find that we cannot install after you have completed our detailed home installation survey, or if you change your mind about taking a Pod Drive subscription before installation (within the 14-day cooling-off period), we refund this one-off fee in full.
The home charger will remain yours. We’ll contact you before your initial Pod Drive agreement comes to an end to discuss extending your subscription at a reduced cost, so you can continue to use your Pod Point and benefit from inclusive miles, stress-free warranty, and lifetime cover.
With a Pod Drive subscription, you're set for 3 years at a locked-in price. No increases, no guesswork, just one price for the whole 36 months of your agreement with us.
If you're on an off-peak tariff, we'll only charge your car at off-peak times when your energy is cheapest.
When you plug in your vehicle, we’ll work out if we will meet your target battery percentage in your off-peak energy period. If we can’t meet your target, you will get a notification in our app.
A standard installation can be completed in as little as 2 hours. For non-standard installation, our team will advise you on what to expect.
