E-car drivers frustrated: VW interface for third-party providers gone | heise online

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A few days ago, a wave of frustration against Volkswagen erupted: The company, from the user's perspective, abruptly cut off an interface that is used by third-party services such as “Home Assistant Volkswagen Carnet” and the EVCC control software. This allows them to query the battery's charge status or optimize the charging control of the wallbox in their apps. Even grid-friendly charging with surplus solar power during midday hours can be controlled via third-party apps. These applications were used by electric car owners of the VW, Audi, Cupra, Skoda, and other brands.

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New Interface

In short: After the interface was shut down, the third-party applications became useless and users were helpless. Volkswagen had already announced the shutdown of the interface on April 2nd. A statement from Volkswagen says that ten providers have integrated the new interface.

When asked by heise online for the reason for the shutdown, they explained that the previous API was originally only intended for use with Volkswagen's own vehicle app infrastructure. Third parties, like the two mentioned, gained access through reverse engineering. Volkswagen was aware of this and tolerated it.

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However, the problem was that the interface was not designed for the high data retrieval it caused and therefore led to errors. “Against the backdrop of increasing technical requirements and high utilization of the previous architecture, we have transitioned to documented and standardized interfaces,” explains VW.

Even before the API was closed, the car manufacturer had “contacted numerous companies, informed them about the planned changes, and supported the migration to the official APIs.” According to Volkswagen, some of these contract partners act “as data providers for further third parties, so that smaller companies were both technically prepared for the change and informed early about the closure of the interface,” it continues.

According to Volkswagen, Tibber is among the partners who do not use the new interface free of charge. Other partners who are already using the new API include Enode, Kraken, Ohme, Tronity, and EEVEE, according to Volkswagen. Tibber relies on Enode as a partner.

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Tibber: VW's API is just the beginning

According to a statement we have received, the provider of dynamic electricity tariffs, Tibber, will not pass on the costs incurred for the interface to its customers. The company states that services like Smart Charging are an integral part of the energy transition, as they “simultaneously make e-car driving significantly cheaper and contribute to stabilizing our power grids.” Tibber therefore advocates for a permanent solution without a paywall. This would be “important not only for the affected drivers but also for the energy transition.”

The company further states: “If manufacturers nevertheless implement a paywall, it must be justified by high-quality, reliable integrations, a good user experience, and economically viable prices – while simple read access to one's own vehicle data should remain free of charge.” Daniel Mata Renteria, Head of Virtual Power Plants (VPP), is also convinced that Volkswagen's decision is just the beginning of a larger trend, “which could broadly influence the electrification of mobility in Germany.”

Negotiations with Open-Source Providers

Regarding the use of the interface for applications from the open-source community, such as those already mentioned, Volkswagen has been in exchange since autumn 2025. They are working on developing a joint solution.

Furthermore, Volkswagen “explicitly commits to the goals of the EU Data Act: Vehicle users should receive reliable, secure, and regulatory-compliant access to their data.” The VW information page on the EU Data Act outlines the possibilities for users and third parties with whom car owners can share their data. Ultimately, these only describe read rights, not control options. Volkswagen is “vigorously continuing to work on this and is also examining additional access routes to adequately support different use cases in the future,” but the car manufacturer has not yet named concrete solutions for the open-source solutions.

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This article was originally published in

German.

It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.

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