A platform connecting EV drivers and eco-friendly businesses has won a start-up battlefield competition hosted by Volkswagen Financial Service UK to identify new business ideas.
Go To-U secured first place in the UK edition of the competition which saw entrants with ideas in three categories battle for a €15,000 grant and a place in the Volkswagen Future Mobility Incubator in Dresden.
The main focus of this year’s battlefield competition was disruptive mobility services, value added vehicle services and products or fintech opportunities in credit and customer finance solutions.
From the 78 applications received, 10 finalists were selected to perform their pitches during the event in July in front of a panel of expert judges.
The winner, Go To-U, aims to make the use of electric vehicles easier by allowing people to book charging appointments at its network of affiliates through a mobile app.
It has developed a new hardware reservation system so drivers can find the closest charging station and plan their trip, book a charging time slot, check partner facilities at the charging location and receive loyalty bonuses that can be exchanged for gifts.
The UK competition is part of a pan-European search for innovative companies, which will culminate with finalists pitching their ideas at an event in October.
Nathan Thompson, digital and innovation director at VWFS UK, said: “The automotive industry is facing unprecedented levels of change both from technology and changing customer behaviours around vehicle ownership and usage; which has led to a number of new exciting companies and business models.
“This promises to be a great and exciting event and we look forward to seeing what innovations are out there.”
