Atlante, a company of NHOA Group, is consolidating its presence in the European market with more than 2,000 active charging points online in the Southern Europe region, specifically in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal.
Additionally, it is in the process of constructing another 2,000 points that will be operational in the coming months.
Recently, it closed a strategic agreement with Groupe Duval in France to install fast and ultra-fast chargers in up to 130 new properties, while securing the first tender in Italy for the roll-out of over 90 ultra-fast charging points for Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI) on the main national highways.
Furthermore, with a focus on expansion in Portugal and an ambitious plan to reach 5,000 charging points by the end of 2025, Atlante positions itself as a key player in promoting sustainable mobility on the continent.
“We are focused on these four countries to achieve our goal,” states Francesco Lamberti, the company’s Chief Technology and Digital Officer, in dialogue with Mobility Portal Europe, during the Intersolar Fair in Munich.
In fact, these short- and medium-term plans are part of the project for 35,000 fast and ultra-fast points of charge planned for 2030, which would be potentially interconnected to constitute one of the largest virtual power plants in the world.
When selecting locations for its fast-charging points, its data-driven development team works to identify the most suitable places for its needs.
Lamberti expresses that, “although current traffic is a crucial factor, it is not the only one,” as they also “evaluate surrounding points of interest, such as commercial areas or highways.”
Moreover, Atlante uses proprietary internal tools to anticipate the performance of each specific site before installation.
So, what drives the development of the company and electric mobility in general?
“On the one hand, we appreciate the subsidy and incentives at the European level to boost fast charging,” comments the executive.
In fact, at the local level, the corporation recently received financial support from the French organization Caisse des Dépôts (CDC), which has been crucial for driving their plan in that country, although the main support comes from the European level.
Indeed, the company won three rounds of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program, obtaining 90 million euros in the most recent round a few months ago.
“On the other,” continues Lamberti, “we need the market to grow. Sales are crucial, as well as incentives for customers to buy electric vehicles (EVs) and increase their proportion.”
The director then states that the present is extremely important to move the business forward.
Mapping eMobility: regional variations in Europe
In the electric car market, according to the company representative, Portugal has a developed electric mobility sector, with a considerable number of registered units.
Indeed, it is one of the most electrified countries in Europe, despite its small size, having accumulated 130,507 zero-emission cars by May of this year, according to the Portuguese Automobile Association (ACAP).
Similarly, France is experiencing notable growth today, with a pace similar to that of Germany, and even better in some aspects.
In the monthly barometer, the association Avere-France reported that by May 2024, 139,634 electric vehicles were registered this year, a 21.2 per cent increase from the previous year, forming a total of 1,158,239 registered electric units in the nation.
In contrast, Italy and Spain still have less developed markets, with a market share of electric vehicles at three or four per cent compared to total car sales.
“There we face specific challenges, such as the current bottlenecks related to the time needed to obtain grid interconnections,” reveals Lamberti.
He states: “Unlike in France, where it is easier to obtain an EV connection after a while, in Italy and Spain we have to wait after installation, which is not beneficial for us.”
Following Atlante’s footsteps
Atlante is a company of NHOA Group, a global player in energy storage and electric mobility.
Since its inception in 2021, Atlante has maintained a strong technological focus to offer the best services to its clients, prioritizing reliability and simplification of the user experience.
Besides offering the utmost accessibility and interoperability, thanks to its extensive experience in energy management, the firm is enhancing its network by integrating energy storage systems and on-site photovoltaics at various sites, thus standing out from other fast-charging networks in the market.
This initiative aims to maximize efficiency and leverage energy management to offer competitive prices and an optimal experience to clients in the near future.
