Jeep is launching a charging incentive program for customers who own a plug-in hybrid car. They will be credited with a currency that can be spent on a “green” marketplace if they regularly recharge their car.
Plug-in hybrid cars certainly make it possible to drive on electricity, and therefore preserve our environment, but on condition that they are recharged. These vehicles benefit from large tax advantages, and it is above all the economic aspect, beyond ecological considerations, which seems to have driven the growth of these engines. Thus, they represented nearly 9% of registrations in Europe in 2021 (source: ACEA).
However, a study by the NGO ICCT (International Council on Clean Transportation) has shown that few customers regularly recharge their plug-in hybrid car, which leads to real consumption much higher than the homologation values.
To encourage their customers to recharge more often, some manufacturers have announced incentives. At Citroën, for example, a warning message can now be displayed to remind drivers to recharge their car.
BMW has gone further by launching its BMW Points program, which rewards drivers who make good use of their plug-in hybrid car by crediting them with points. Once converted into credits, they can be spent to charge the vehicle at public terminals with the BMW Charging Card.
A reward in KiriCoins
Jeep in turn advertises an incentive program similar to BMW’s model. Thus, the brand, which will abandon the non-hybrid thermal in France this year, will reward the drivers of its plug-in hybrid cars who recharge regularly and who activate the electric mode.
Drivers of connected 4xe versions of the Renegade, Compass, Wrangler and soon the new Grand Cherokee will thus be able to be credited with KiriCoins, in collaboration with the start-up Kiri Technologies. This currency aims to encourage sustainable behavior. Unlike BMW Points, which allow you to pay for top-ups, KiriCoins can be spent on a marketplace, where more than 350 brands offer “green” goods and services.
Within the Stellantis group, Fiat was already a partner of this start-up to reward drivers of its 500 electric.
Jeep does not further detail the reward mechanisms of its program. We cannot therefore assess the benefit for the drivers who will play the game. It remains to be seen whether these incentive programs will have a real impact, knowing that drivers already have a financial advantage in driving on electricity rather than on petrol or diesel.