VW's Elli Exits Charger Hardware, Pivots to Digital Charging and V2G

Volkswagen Group Charging (trading as Elli) is exiting its charging-hardware business and refocusing entirely on digital services, fleet management, and bidirectional charging. CEO Giovanni Palazzo confirmed the strategic shift in an exclusive interview with electrive, revealing that Elli will discontinue its AC wallbox production and hand infrastructure projects to specialist partners.

Related: Mercedes-Benz Sells European Charging Network to Electra · Ford Fathom + BC Hydro Bidirectional Charging

What Elli is dropping

• AC wallbox: Production ends; existing stock will sell out, then no further orders. Already-installed units continue to be supported with no change to service or maintenance.
• Flexpole battery-buffered DC fast chargers: The Hanover production line (announced for closure in June) is confirmed shut.
• Fleet infrastructure construction: Planning, build, and maintenance of physical charging infrastructure for commercial customers will transition to external partners by end of 2027.

What Elli is keeping and expanding

• Mobility Service Provider (MSP): Roaming, billing, fuel/charging cards, and fleet management — including the LogPay fuel-card integration that bridges ICE and EV fleets.
• Energy: The Elli Naturstrom electricity tariff remains the anchor product, with dynamic tariffs and bidirectional-charging services to follow.
• V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid): A commercial V2G offer launches in November with hardware from Chinese manufacturer EV-Tech. Customers who keep their car plugged in V2G-mode can earn up to €720/year in electricity-bill credits. V2H (Vehicle-to-Home) is also on the roadmap.
• Third-party MSP licensing: Sixt already uses Elli's MSP in its app; more deals are expected.

Why it matters beyond Europe

Palazzo framed the decision as a response to "an increasingly competitive market environment" where charging-infrastructure providers face "considerable economic pressure," and expects further industry consolidation. The pattern — OEMs ceding hardware to specialists while keeping the digital layer — mirrors what Mercedes-Benz just did with its Electra sale and what we're seeing across the sector. For Canadian EV owners, the practical takeaway: expect fewer OEM-branded chargers and more roaming-based access through operators. The V2G direction is the most interesting piece for Canada, where the dcbel ARA V2X pilot programs and Ford's Fathom bidirectional efforts are already exploring the same territory.

Elli currently employs just under 400 people; Palazzo confirmed works-council negotiations over potential layoffs are underway but declined to specify numbers. The company expects 2026 revenue in the high three-digit million-euro range and is now seeking external investors or strategic partners — the same path MOIA and PowerCo have taken.

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