RetailSonar offers ChargePlanner, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution designed to predict the usage of future charging sites and define their optimal configurations by separately assessing the potential for slow, fast, and ultra-fast charging, as well as the ideal pricing.
The company, which operates in nine countries including Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium, is looking to strengthen its presence in Southern Europe.
“We aim to increase our sales capacity and establish relationships with companies within our target audience, primarily charge point operators (CPOs) working in Spain and Portugal,” explains Dieter Debels, founder and CEO of RetailSonar, in conversation with Mobility Portal Europe.
To achieve this, the company may establish an office in Spain or collaborate with local agents.
Expanding into e-truck charging
While ChargePlanner has been available for electric car charging for some time, RetailSonar recently added data to its algorithm for e-trucks.
Previously, Debels had revealed that the first deliveries would be for CPOs investing in megawatt infrastructure.
“We made our first client deliveries in France and Belgium during the first week of December,” the CEO states.
He adds: “We’ve also scheduled some demos with interested Spanish CPOs.”
Although the company has not yet completed the necessary data for the Spanish market, Debels anticipates this will be ready by early 2025.
ChargePlanner’s focus on Spain is driven by the country’s position as a “strong market” for the company.
“It has extensive road networks and significant car traffic, which is why many CPOs are already active in the country,” he explains.
Moreover, the market is “undergoing rapid development.”
“It’s just a matter of waiting for more electric cars to appear, but that’s something that will certainly happen soon as Spain’s e-mobility market is growing,” he adds.
Read more: Rise of eTrucks: How to turn investment in charging infrastructure into success?
About ChargePlanner
The software predicts the usage of new charging points based on up-to-date market data and artificial intelligence.
By leveraging these datasets, their predictive models allow users to test potential locations to identify key hotspots across Europe.
For instance, the software considers factors such as traffic on specific road segments, the number of visitors at nearby points of interest, local residential potential, competitor data, and nearby competitors’ pricing.
Currently, ChargePlanner helps around 20 major CPOs in Europe make informed investment decisions as they can pinpoint the most profitable locations with maximum car passage, visibility, accessibility, minimal competition and optimise their prices at existing locations.
2025 Agenda: RetailSonar’s upcoming events
The interview with Dieter Debels took place during the Global Mobility Call (GMC), a leading global event in sustainable mobility held at IFEMA’s exhibition centre in Madrid.
At the GMC, the RetailSonar team showcased how ChargePlanner works and how artificial intelligence is used to predict the performance of new charging sites.
“Attending these kinds of events allows us to connect with local markets,” Debels notes.
For this reason, the company plans to attend future exhibitions.
“We’re considering a visit to Poland in early 2025 and also planning trips to other countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany,” he adds.
