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Athlon Nederland becomes the first leasing company to offer fleet drivers cashback for grid-aware charging.
Athlon Nederland has become the first leasing company to offer fleet drivers the opportunity to earn cashback for charging off-peak. Built on Deftpower's smart charging platform, the initiative gives fleet drivers a direct financial incentive to shift charging away from peak hours, activating a sizeable segment of EV drivers that is contributing to demand flexibility for the first time.
How fleet drivers can earn cashback
Lease drivers using the Athlon Charge app begin a smart charging session at participating public charging points by setting their planned departure time and target battery charge. From there, the app builds a smart-charging schedule for the car. The driver earns cashback for every kWh shifted to off-peak times.
If they need to leave sooner than expected, they can switch to direct charging in the app at any point. They can also earn additional cashback by charging during off-peak hours at selected charging points. The received cashback can be paid out directly to a bank account of choice once the amount reaches €5 or more.
"With our smart charging solution, Athlon Charge, we are contributing to reducing grid congestion.” said Paul Bouwmeester, Business Development Director at Athlon. “Cars are stationary for almost 95% of the time, which means there is enough time to charge the battery outside of peak hours. But the driver is always in control: charge grid-consciously when possible, quickly when necessary.”
Why fleet flexibility matters for the grid
Fleet drivers are a structurally underserved source of grid flexibility. They charge regularly and predictably, but because they are not paying for their own charging costs, conventional price signals or discounts have no effect on their behaviour. Because cashback goes directly to the driver rather than the invoice payer, it gives the person who actually decides when to plug in a genuine reason to act.
Corporate fleets account for approximately 60% of electric vehicles in the Netherlands, making this group one of the largest untapped sources of demand flexibility available to the grid. For leasing companies, every participating session generates verified, session-level data — charge point, energy delivered, and timing — that supports ESG reporting without requiring changes to existing billing arrangements.
Where it is available
Cashback for grid-aware charging is available at approximately 19,000 public charge points across the Netherlands, on networks including Allego, Equans, TotalEnergies and Shell Recharge branded Ubitricity chargers. All eligible charge points can be found through the Athlon Charge app.
