Zaptec has partnered with Kraken, the energy technology platform built by Octopus Energy Group, to connect its EV chargers to intelligent tariffs, solar integration and vehicle-to-grid services, the companies announced on September 2, 2026. "The role of the EV charger is changing," said Zaptec CEO Kurt Østrem. "Customers are no longer choosing hardware alone; they're choosing the technology that will continue to deliver value throughout its lifetime." Kraken's Chief Flexibility and Marketing Officer, Devrim Celal, described it as combining "Kraken's flexibility capabilities with Zaptec's charging technology" to reach more customers.
Zaptec's own announcement names no utility that will actually offer these services to drivers. Trade outlet EV Infrastructure News, reporting on September 4, named EDF Energy, Octopus Energy and E.ON Next as utilities running Kraken's platform that could extend connected energy services to Zaptec owners, a claim that outlet makes, not the two partner companies themselves. Neither source describes the protocol carrying data between charger and platform.
It is another sign that the charger is becoming one endpoint inside somebody else's energy platform, one layer up from the hardware itself. On Plugchoice, the OCPP layer that runs smart charging sits underneath whichever backend a driver's supplier prefers, not tied to a single utility, so switching supplier does not mean switching hardware.
Sources: Zaptec, September 2, 2026, EV Infrastructure News, September 4, 2026.