On the surface, Dance and Ostrom are two very different companies. One makes emobility easy, and the other provides 100% clean energy through an intuitive app. But our businesses have two very important things in common:
- We’re both working towards a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world.
- We understand that change will only happen on a large scale if the most sustainable option is also the simplest option.
In June 2022, we decided to partner up. Now almost all Dance operations in Germany are powered by green, renewable energy, and Ostrom employees can choose a more flexible, sustainable commute with their own Dance ebikes.
We checked in with Ostrom’s co-founder, Karl Villanueva, to see how the project is going, and find out why this partnership makes sense now more than ever.
Tell us a bit about Ostrom and the company’s mission…
We see ourselves as an energy management platform. We align the incentives of the customer, the company and the environment by being the only smart & green energy provider that actually wants our customers to use less electricity.
When it comes to mobility, do you share our belief that “the future is electric”?
I think in the last few years, all the factors that skeptics have given for electric vehicles (EVs) and e-mobility have disappeared. Electric modes of transportation are now faster, green electricity used to charge the car has become more widespread, and the charging infrastructure is growing. I think we’re used to seeing things as trade-offs. But now with more renewables and electric vehicles, we can have the best of both worlds—fast and efficient transportation that keeps our planet green.
Do you think Germany is ready for it? How would you rate its current infrastructure?
My personal grade for now is that Germany is a B-. There are many things that are there but need to come together to become an A+. Firstly, smart meter penetration is just abysmally low compared to our European peers (single-digit percentage for Germany vs 100% for countries like Norway). Smart measurement is what allows us to optimize charging of our EVs and ebikes. Secondly, the charging infrastructure is good but could be better, especially for the faster charger variants. More widespread availability of at-home EV charging stations are also needed, something we are looking to address. Thirdly, adoption of EVs and ebikes have much room to grow vs. their internal combustion engine counterparts.
Why did you decide to offer Dance as a benefit to Ostrom employees?
We think Dance combines the best of cars, bikes and public transport all in one. It’s just extremely easy to get from A to B without breaking a sweat and without worrying about delays. Moreover, the super fast delivery, onboarding and usage of course makes it even better.
You have your own Dance bike—how has it changed your commute?
It’s really made it a lot faster, especially when you compare door-to-door travel times. I find it’s 30–50% faster than taking a tram or U-Bahn for me at this point.
And when you get to work, how do you feel?
That I still have energy and not at all exhausted when I arrive in contrast with a regular bike.
How does the cost compare to a car or public transport?
I’ve been using our Dance bike for several months now, and I find that it is saving me around €50 to €100 per month compared to what I had before with a mix of public transport tickets, scooter rentals and ride-hailing bookings.
Ostrom offers a clear dashboard in the app so you can easily keep track of your energy consumption. Plus, when combined with a smart meter and our upcoming dynamic tariff, users will have complete transparency over electricity costs and will therefore be able to charge their ebike during the times when electricity is cheapest. And what better feeling than to know that it's green energy!
What’s the coolest thing about Dance?
The concierge delivery was really cool. Just having it arrive to you and being all set up in a few minutes was very nice. As for the bike itself, I still can’t get over the acceleration and speed. It’s so effortless and fast that I find myself really planning trips I would normally make by car or several train transfers way faster with the Dance bike.
Thanks to Karl and the Ostrom team. We’re proud to have you as partners and to be working together towards a cleaner, greener, more electric future.