Elton gets Circle K in as an investor: - A game changer for electric car owners

When Circle K buys into Schibsted-owned Elton Mobility AS, it means that Norwegian, Swedish and Danish electric car owners will soon have a much simpler charging routine.

Through the "all in one" app Elton, Norwegian electric drivers have since last year had access to several thousand chargers from most of the country's biggest charging players in one and the same app.

- We entered a market with a lot of different apps and complicated charging solutions and complicated price models, with a clear ambition to make everyday life easier for the country's electric car drivers. The collaboration with Circle K is, as we see it, another game changer for electric car owners, because even more chargers will be available in one app. Now it will be even easier to find a suitable charger for the electric car along the road, says Jørgen Elton Nilsen, daily manager in Elton.

From the outset, charging stations from Recharge, Ionity, Kople and many more are integrated into the solution. Via the Elton app, electric drivers do not need any other apps or membership to start charging with these charging companies. To start, stop and pay for charging at Elton's partners, customers can pay by bank card, Vipps or invoice.

Will get more new features

The joint venture agreement between Circle K and Schibsted was signed on Wednesday this week, and means that the ownership in Elton Mobility AS is shared 50/50. The first thing users of the Elton app will notice is that Circle K's charging stations in Scandinavia will be available in the app.

In the next phase, the plan is to develop existing functions and not least to implement several new functions in the app.

- Elton must be the smartest charging app there is. We will create the best user experience, and we are constantly working to integrate even more chargers into the app. Our charging packages, where you get a discount across charging companies in one solution, are already growing well. We recently launched our own navigation system. There we will soon show the estimated waiting time if there is a queue at the charger. With live data, we can also predict the availability of different stations. In this way, we can suggest routes that ensure the least amount of queues for everyone. In parallel with this, we are also exploring new technology for starting and stopping chargers via "plugging" with the phone, or by connecting the cable directly in the car, says Nilsen.

Let the customers choose

- We are constantly looking for opportunities to make life easier for electric drivers, and are happy to welcome users of the Elton app in Scandinavia to Circle K's charging network. We aim to build over 500 new Circle K chargers in Scandinavia, which means that over 1000 charging points will be available in the Elton app. Now we look forward to working together to further improve the charging experience, says Håkon Stiksrud, director of E-mobility at Circle K.

He says that Circle K will continue to develop its own app and other payment solutions in parallel, independently of Elton.

- Then it is up to the customers to use the solution they prefer, adds Stiksrud.

- A prime example

The Elton app was originally developed in VG's innovation department VG Lab, but at the turn of the year was spun off as a separate company with Schibsted Norge AS as owner. Christian Haneborg, chairman of Elton Mobility AS, is delighted that Circle K will now contribute to the Elton app taking the next step.

- The Elton app is a prime example of internal innovation based on a simple idea to fill an unmet need among consumers. Circle K has a competence and area of ​​influence in the mobility sector built up over a long time, while Elton has developed the industry's most user-friendly app in a short time. The fact that we now get Circle K involved in the venture is a big step on the way to becoming the app of choice among electric car owners in the Nordics, says Haneborg.

Strategy director for Global E-Mobility at Circle K, Christian Ellneby, is also very satisfied with the new agreement.

- The collaboration is an excellent match between our strategies, both Elton, Circle K and the charging customers are concerned with simplicity and seamless charging solutions, including travel across national borders. This is good news for everyone with an electric car, he says.

Download Elton now