We show that N = 8 spontaneously broken supergravity in four dimensions obtained by Scherk-Schwarz generalized dimensional reduction can be obtained from a pure four dimensional perspective by gauging a suitable electric subgroup of E_7,7. Owing to the fact that there are non isomorphic choices of maximal electric subgroups of the U-duality group their gaugings give rise to inequivalent theories. This in particular shows that the Scherk-Schwarz gaugings do not fall in previous classifications of possible gauged N = 8 supergravities. Gauging of flat groups appear in many examples of string compactifications in presence of brane fluxes.