Elli is withdrawing from the charging hardware business. CEO Giovanni Palazzo told the German news agency dpa (via WirtschaftsWoche): «We are realigning our portfolio and concentrating on digital, scalable business models with which we can reach more customers in more markets and generate recurring revenue» (translated from German).
What stops
Elli will no longer sell its own AC wallboxes and will sell off remaining stock. Palazzo told electrive that the move is not about weak sales or technical problems. Unidirectional wallboxes no longer fit the scale the company wants. Specialist partners will plan, build and maintain charging sites for business customers and the VW Group. WirtschaftsWoche adds that Elli is giving up responsibility for Volkswagen's grid-scale battery storage, which another group company will run.
For existing customers, nothing changes: software updates, service and spare parts remain available, WirtschaftsWoche reports.
What continues
Elli's charging network of more than one million points in Europe, its fleet charging and fuel cards, and the Volkswagen Naturstrom electricity tariff all continue. The new business has two parts, Mobility and Energy. electrive says Porsche is due to adopt Elli's charging-card platform from 2027.
Elli's V2G offer with The Mobility House is due in November, using a bidirectional DC wallbox from Chinese maker EV-Tech. Palazzo told electrive that customers can get a credit of up to €720 a year on their power bill.
Jobs and investors
Elli has just under 400 employees. Palazzo would not say how many jobs could go, but talks with worker representatives are under way. He said several companies have expressed interest in a stake or closer cooperation; nothing has been agreed. The changes are to be completed by the end of 2027.